Oct
968
and numbers and store them as a computer document,
without the need for someone to TYPE them first
Oct written abbrev. for October
oc-ta-gon /'ɒktəgən || 'ɑ:ktəgɑ:n/ n tech a flat shape with
eight sides and eight angles —al /ɒk'tægənəl || ɑ:k-/ adj
oc-tal /'ɒktl || 'ɑ:k-/ adj tech based on the number 8; using the
numbers 0–7 in combination. Octal numbers have many
uses in computers.
oc-tane /'ɒktein || 'ɑ:k-/ n a chemical compound added to
petrol. Sometimes an octane number shows the power and
quality of petrol, the higher the better: 100-octane petrol |
high octane fuel
oc-tave /'ɒkteɪv, -teɪrv || 'ɑ:k-/ n tech 1 a) a space of seven
degrees between musical notes: two notes an octave apart | a
singer with a range of three octaves b) a set of seven musical
notes, with the highest and lowest notes eight degrees
apart 2 a group of eight lines of poetry, especially the first
eight of a SONNET (=poem of 14 lines)
oc-ta-vo /ɒk'teɪvəʊ || ɑ:k-/ n [U] tech the (size of) paper
produced by folding a large sheet of paper three times so as
to give eight sheets or sixteen pages in all. In Britain and
Europe the metric measures for paper are now more often
used. → see also A4; compare FOLIO, QUARTO
oc-tet /ɒk'tet || ɑ:k-/ n 1 [+sing./pl.v.] eight singers or musicians
performing together 2 a piece of music for an octet →
compare SEXTET, SEPTET
Oc-to-ber /ɒk'təʊbər || ɑ:k-/ written abbrev. Oct. n [C, U] the
tenth month of the year, between September and Novem-
ber: in October This museum opened in October of last year. |
last/next October He started work here last October. | on
October 6th etc The payment will be made on October 6th. |
on (the) 6th October BrE The baby is due on 6th October. |
October 6 AmE Classes begin October 6.
**CULTURAL NOTE** In the UK and northern US, when people
think of October, they think of the leaves on the trees
turning brown. Halloween is on October 31st.
oc-to-ge-nar-i-an /ˌɒktədʒ'nɛərɪən, -tə- || ˌɑ:k-/ n a per-
son who is between 80 and 90 years old
octopus
tentacle
squid
**oc-to-pus** /'ɒktəpəs || 'ɑ:k-/ n pl. -puses or -pi /-paɪ/ 1 [C] a
deep-sea creature with eight TENTACLES (=arms) → see also
SQUID 2 [U] octopus meat as food; it is a rare food in Britain
and the US, eaten mainly in restaurants, e.g. as part of a
SEAFOOD SALAD
**oc-u-lar** /'ɒkjʊlər || 'ɑ:k-/ adj fml or tech of the eyes: ocular
muscles
**oc-u-list** /'ɒkjʊlɪst || 'ɑ:k-/ n a doctor who examines and
treats people's eyes → compare OPTICIAN (USAGE)
**OD** /ˌəʊ 'di:/ v [I + on] infml 1 to take too much of a dangerous
drug, especially when this causes death; take an OVERDOSE:
He OD'ed on heroin. 2 to do something too much, especially
eating or drinking: I think I OD'ed on caffeine last night – I
couldn't get to sleep. —OD n
**ODA, the** /ˌəʊ di: 'eɪ/ abbrev. for the Overseas Development
Administration; the former name of the DFID (the British
government's Department for International Development)
o-da-lisque /ˌəʊdə'lɪsk/ n lit an Eastern female slave in
former times, especially one used for sexual purposes
**odd** /ɒd || ɑ:d/ **adj** 1 different from what is ordinary or
expected; unusual; PECULIAR: *odd behaviour/people* | *It's very*
*odd that she didn't reply to our letter.* 2 [A] separated from its
pair or set: *an odd shoe* 3 (of a number) that cannot be
divided exactly by two: *1, 3, 5, 7 etc are odd.* → opposite
EVEN 4 [A] not regular; OCCASIONAL: *He does odd jobs for me*
*from time to time.* | *We get the odd complaint but most of our*
*customers seem quite satisfied.* 5 [after n] infml (after numbers)
rather more than the stated number: *20-odd years (=a little*
*more than 20 years)* → see also ODDLY
**odd-ball** /'ɒdbɔ:l || 'ɑ:d-/ n infml, especially AmE a person who
behaves in an odd way
**Odd-bins** /'ɒdbɪnz || 'ɑ:d-/ trademark a chain of British stores
that sell alcoholic drinks, known especially for its large
choice of wines from all over the world
**odd-i-ty** /'ɒdʒəti || 'ɑ:-/ n 1 [C] a strange or unusual person,
thing etc 2 [U] strangeness
**odd-'job man** n a man who is employed to do various small
pieces of work (odd jobs) for pay, usually in people's houses
**odd·ly** /'ɒdɪli || 'ɑ:dli/ *adv* 1 in an odd way: *behaving rather*
*oddly* 2 it is odd that: *Oddly enough, the letter never*
*arrived.*
**odd man 'out** also **odd one 'out** *n* pl. **odd men/ones**
**out** 1 a (male or female) person or thing that is different
from, or left out of, a group: *Which of these three shapes is*
*the odd one out?* 2 infml someone (male or female) who does
not mix easily with others: *I was always the odd man out in*
*my class at school.* → see MAN (USAGE)
**odd-ment** /'ɒdmənt || 'ɑ:d-/ n [often pl.] infml something
remaining; REMNANT: *a few oddments of cloth*
**odds** /ɒdz || ɑ:dz/ n [P] 1 **a)** the probability that something
will or will not happen: *She may pass but the odds are (=it is*
*likely that) she will fail.* | *Against all the odds (=very unex-*
*pectedly) he recovered from his illness.* | *They are fighting*
*against heavy odds.* **b)** such probability expressed in num-
bers when making a BET: [+(that)] *The odds are 10 to 1 that her*
*horse will win.* | *I laid him (=offered him) odds of 50 to 1. I to*
*back a horse at long/short odds (=odds that are/are not*
*strongly against its winning)* 2 at **odds (with)** in disagree-
ment (with): *Those two have been at odds (with one another)*
*for ages.* | *This new evidence is at odds with their earlier*
*statement.* 3 it/that makes no **odds** BrE it/that makes no
difference; has no importance: *It makes no odds whether we*
*go or stay.*
**odds and 'ends** also **odds and 'sods** BrE slang — n
[P] 1 small articles of various kinds, without much
value 2 small jobs of various kinds, of no great importance
**odds-'on** adj very likely (to win): *The odds-on favourite*
*(=the horse, person etc that everyone thought would win)*
*came in last, to everyone's surprise.* | *It's odds-on that she*
*won't come.*
**ode** /əʊd/ n a usually long poem addressed to a person or
thing
**O-de-on** /'əʊdɪən/ n one of a chain of cinemas in the UK.
There is an Odeon cinema in most British towns and cities.
**O-din** /'əʊdɪn/ in Norse MYTHOLOGY, the king of the gods. He
made the universe, and is also the god of war and WISDOM. In
German mythology his name is WOTAN, and in Anglo-Saxon
mythology his name is WODEN.
**o-di-ous** /'əʊdɪəs/ adj fml hateful; very unpleasant —ly adv
**o-di-um** /'əʊdɪəm/ n [U] fml widespread hatred: *to be exposed*
*to/held in public odium*
**o-dom-e-ter** /əʊ'dɒmɪtər || -'dɑ:-/ n AmE for MILEOMETER
**O'Don-nell, Ro-sie** /əʊ'dɒnəl || -'dɑ:nəl, 'rəʊzi/ (1962–) a US
COMEDIAN, talk show HOST, and actress. She has said in public
that she is a LESBIAN, and she became an important repre-
sentative for gays and lesbians in the US.
**o-do-rous** /'ɒʊdrəs/ adj fml having a smell → compare
MALODOROUS
**o-dour** BrE **|| -dor** AmE /'əʊdər/ n 1 rather fml a smell, especially
an unpleasant one 2 BrE in **bad odour (with)** fml badly
thought of (by): *I've been in bad odour with the boss since he*
*discovered that I had criticized him.* —less *adj:* an odourless
deodorant