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  1. octopus love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Any of numerous carnivorous marine mollusks of the genus Octopus or related genera, found worldwide. The octopus has a rounded soft body, eight tentacles with each bearing two rows of suckers, a large distinct head, and a strong beaklike mouth. Also called devilfish.
  2. n. Something, such as a multinational corporation, that has many powerful, centrally controlled branches.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. The typical genus of Octopodidæ and Octopoda.
  2. n. [lowercase; pl. octopi (-pī).] A species or an individual of the genus Octopus; an octopod; a poulpe; a devilfish. See also cut under cuttlefish.
  3. n. Hence Figuratively, any centralized organization which has many branches and secret connections, and thereby maintains an oppressive hold upon the public.

Wiktionary

  1. n. Any of several marine molluscs/mollusks, of the family Octopodidae, having no internal or external protective shell or bone (unlike the nautilus, squid or cuttlefish) and eight arms each covered with suckers.
  2. n. uncountable The flesh of these marine molluscs eaten as food.
  3. n. An organization that has many powerful branches controlled from the centre.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. (Zoöl.) A genus of eight-armed cephalopods, including numerous species, some of them of large size. See devilfish.
  2. n. (Zoöl.) Any member of the genus Octopus.
  3. n. Something resembling an octopus in having numerous controlling arms or branches that reach widely and influence many activities; -- used mostly of organizations, such as diversified corporations.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. tentacles of octopus prepared as food
  2. n. bottom-living cephalopod having a soft oval body with eight long tentacles

Etymologies

  1. From Ancient Greek ὀκτώπους (oktōpous), from ὀκτώ (oktō, "eight") + πούς (pous, "foot"). (Wiktionary)
  2. New Latin Octōpūs, genus name, from Greek oktōpous, eight-footed : oktō, eight; + pous, foot. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

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hypernyms (2)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. seafood
  1. octopod

same context (22)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. squid
  2. porpoise
  3. jellyfish
  4. cuttlefish
  1. turtle
  2. snail
  3. prawn
  4. eel
  1. alligator
  2. tangler
  3. shellfish
  4. crab
  1. centipede
  2. clam
  3. tortoise
  4. mussel
  1. plankton
  2. kelp
  3. krill
  4. anemone
  1. lamprey
  2. shark

reverse dictionary (19)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. cephalopod
  2. devilfish
  3. octopean
  1. octopi
  2. octopus
  3. poulp
  1. haemacyanin
  2. kraken
  3. octopod
  1. hectocotylus
  2. hen
  3. ink sac
  1. acetabulifera
  2. ink
  3. octocerata
  1. sea devil
  2. sucker
  3. octopodidæ
  1. tyrosinase

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  1. animal
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tagging (2)

Words tagged ‘octopus’

  1. cephalopod
  1. tentacular

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Lists

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Comments

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  • travismcdermott 1759 Philos. Trans. 1758 (Royal Soc.) 50 778 The Polypus, particularly so called, the Octopus, Preke, or Pour-contrel. Jul 23, 2008

  • shbhrsaha wow
    May 24, 2008

  • asativum Thanks! Always wondered about that. (See mongoose.)

    Not sure I'd get too jocular with octopuses, or octopi for that matter, given then Mr. Potatohead story; they don't seem to have much of a sense of humor. Jan 27, 2008

  • mollusque The preferred plural in English is "octopuses". "Octopus" comes from Greek, not Latin, so if a classical plural is used it should be "octopodes". "Octopi" is a well-established back-formation, often used in jocular contexts. Jan 27, 2008

  • asativum Oughtn't it be octopi? Jan 27, 2008

  • mollusque Octopuses have personalities. Jan 27, 2008

  • treeseed I read about a little octopus who was given a small toy figure of Mr. Potato Head and the little octopus became so attached to this toy that he would become aggressive if his keepers tried to remove it from him. He became adept at opening and closing a small compartment in the back of the toy. Somehow this story makes me love octopuses and appreciate them in a whole new way. I think it is a sad tale. Jan 27, 2008

  • mollusque Getting all of one’s addictions under control is a little like putting an octopus to bed.
    --Anne Lamott, 1994, Bird by Bird, p. 93 Nov 16, 2007

  • reesetee Love the quote and the book! Nov 9, 2007

  • mollusque Have you ever heard a blind-folded octopus unwrap a cellophane-covered bathtub?
    --Norton Juster, 1961, The Phantom Tollbooth Nov 9, 2007

  • reesetee THE OCTOPUS
    Tell me, O Octopus, I begs
    Is those things arms, or is they legs?
    I marvel at thee, Octopus;
    If I were thou, I'd call me Us.
    Ogden Nash Apr 18, 2007

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‘octopus’ has been looked up 3210 times, loved by 2 people, added to 43 lists, commented on 11 times, and has a Scrabble score of 11.