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| oaf |
n. stupid, clumsy and awkward person (usu male) |
| oath |
n. (words used in making a) solemn promise to do sth or solemn declaration that sth is true (usu appealing to God, etc as a witness) |
| oatmeal |
n. meal made from crushed oats, used in porridge, oatcakes, etc |
| obdurate |
adj. impossible to change; stubborn |
| obeisance |
n. deep bow (of respect or obedience) |
| obelisk |
n. tall pointed stone pillar with four sides, set up as a monument or landmark |
| obese |
adj. (of people) very fat |
| obfuscate |
v. (deliberately) make (sth) confused or difficult to understand |
| obituary |
n. printed notice (eg in a newspaper) of a person's death, often with a short account of his life and achievements |
| objective |
adj. not influenced by personal feelings or opinions; unbiased; fair |
| obligatory |
adj. required by rule, law or custom; compulsory |
| oblique |
adj. not horizontal or vertical; sloping; slanting |
| obliterate |
v. remove all signs of (sth); rub or blot out |
| oblivion |
n. state of forgetting; state of being unaware or unconscious |
| oblivious |
adj. ~ of/to sth unaware of or not noticing sth; having no memory of sth |
| obloquy |
n. public shame or disgrace; abuse; discredit ; |
| obnoxious |
adj. very unpleasant; nasty; offensive |
| obscure |
adj. not easily or clearly seen or understood; indistinct; hidden |
| obsequious |
adj. ~ (to sb) too willing to obey or serve; too respectful (esp in the hope of getting a reward or favour from sb) |
| obsequy |
exequies; funeral; interment |
| obsession |
n. ~ state of being obsessed |
| obsessive |
adj. of or having an obsession |
| obsidian |
black volcanic rock |
| obsolete |
adj. no longer used; out of date |
| obstetrician |
n. doctor who specializes in obstetrics |
| obstinate |
adj. refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action; stubborn |
| obstreperous |
adjnoisy and uncontrolled; unruly |
| obtrude |
v. ~(on/upon sb/sth) (fml ) force (oneself, one's opinions, ideas, etc) upon sb/sth, esp when unwanted |
| obtrusive |
adj. very noticeable or obvious; inclined to obtrude |
| obtuse |
adj. slow to understand; stupid |
| obviate |
v. remove (sth); get rid of |
| Occident |
n. the Occident the countries of the West, ie Europe and America |
| occlude |
to close up or block off:OBSTRUCT |
| occult |
adj. only for those with special knowledge or powers; hidden, secret |
| oculist |
n. specialist in treating diseases and defects of the eye |
| odds |
n. probability or chance |
| odious |
adj. disgusting; hateful |
| odium |
n. general or widespread hatred or disgust felt towards a person or his actions |
| odoriferous |
giving off an order |
| odorous |
adj. having a (pleasant or unpleasant) smell |
| odyssey |
n. long adventurous journey |
| offensive |
adj. upsetting or annoying; insulting |
| offhand |
adj. too casual; abrupt |
| officious |
adj. too ready or willing to give orders, offer advice or help, or use one's authority; bossy and interfering |
| ogle |
v. ~ at sb look or stare at (esp a woman) in a way that suggests sexual interest |
| olfactory |
adj. of or concerned with the sense of smell |
| oligarchy |
n. form of government in which a small group of people hold all the power |
| ominous |
adj. suggesting that sth bad is about to happen; threatening |
| omnipotent |
adj. having unlimited or very great power |
| omnipresent |
adj. present everywhere |
| omniscient |
adj. knowing everything |
| omnivorous |
adj. (of animals) eating both plants and animal flesh |
| onerous |
adj. needing effort; burdensome |
| onomatopoeia |
n. combination of sounds in a word that imitates or suggests what the word refers to eg hiss, cuckoo, thud ; hiss cuckoo thud |
| onslaught |
n. ~ fierce attack |
| onus |
n. the onus duty or responsibility (for doing sth); burden |
| ooze |
v. ~ from/out of sth; ~ out/away come or flow out slowly |
| opalescent |
adj. changing colour like an opal; iridescent |
| opaque |
adj. not allowing light to pass through; not transparent |
| opiate |
n. drug containing opium, used to relieve pain or to help sb sleep |
| opportune |
adj. (of time) suitable or favourable for a purpose |
| opportunist |
n. person who acts like this |
| opprobrium |
n. public disgrace and shame |
| optician |
n. person who makes and sells optical instruments, esp contact lenses and glasses |
| optimist |
n. person who is always hopeful and expects the best in all things |
| optimum |
adj. best or most favourable |
| optional |
adj. that may be chosen or not, as one wishes; not compulsory |
| optometrist |
one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects |
| opulence |
n. opulently |
| opus |
n. musical composition numbered as one of a composer's works (work1 5b) (usu in order of publication) |
| oracular |
adj. of or like an oracle; with hidden meaning |
| orator |
n. person who makes formal speeches in public |
| oratorio |
n. musical composition for solo voices, chorus and orchestra,usu with a Biblical theme |
| ordain |
v. make a priest or minister |
| ordeal |
n. difficult or painful experience |
| ordinance |
n. order, rule or law made by a government or an authority |
| ordination |
n. ceremony of ordaining (a priest or minister) |
| orgy |
n. wild party, usu with a lot of drinking and/or sexual activity |
| orient |
n. the Orient countries of the (Far) East (eg Japan, China) |
| orientation |
n. activity of orientating oneself; state of being orientated |
| orifice |
n. outer opening in the body, etc |
| ornate |
adj. richly decorated |
| ornithologist |
n. expert in ornithology |
| orthodox |
adj. generally accepted or approved |
| orthography |
n. (study or system of) spelling |
| oscillate |
v. move repeatedly and regularly from one position to another and back again |
| osseous |
adj. of bone; having bones; bony ; |
| ossify |
v. (fml ) (cause sth to) become hard like bone; change into bone ; |
| ostensible |
adj. stated though perhaps not true; apparent |
| ostentatious |
adj. showing or liking ostentation |
| ostracize |
exclude from public favor; ban |
| oust |
v. ~ sb (fml ) remove sb (from a position, job, etc) sometimes in order to take his place |
| outcast |
n, adj ~ (person) driven away from home, friends, society, etc; homeless and friendless (person) |
| outfit |
n. all the equipment or articles needed for a particular purpose; kit |
| outgoing |
adj. going out; leaving |
| outlandish |
adj. looking or sounding strange |
| outlaw |
n. person who has broken the law and is hiding to avoid being caught |
| outlook |
n. ~ view on which one looks out |
| outmoded |
adj. no longer fashionable |
| outrage |
n. (act of) great violence or cruelty |
| outskirts |
n. outlying districts (esp of a city or large town); outer areas |
| outspoken |
adj. ~ saying openly exactly what one thinks; frank |
| outstrip |
v. run faster than (sb in a race) and leave him behind |
| outwit |
v. win or defeat (sb) by being cleverer or more cunning than him |
| ovation |
n. great applause or cheering expressing welcome or approval |
| overbearing |
adj. forcing others to do what one wants (without caring about their feelings); domineering |
| overblown |
adj. past their best; too fully open |
| overhaul |
v. examine carefully and thoroughly and make any necessary repairs |
| oversee |
v. watch over and control (sb/sth); supervise |
| overt |
adj. done or shown openly or publicly; not secret or hidden |
| overthrow |
v. cause the downfall or defeat of (sb/sth); put an end to |
| overture |
n. ~ (fml ) friendly approach, proposalor offer made (to sb) with the aim of starting discussions |
| overturn |
v. turn over or upside-down; upset |
| overweening |
adj. showing too much self-confidence or conceit |
| overwhelm |
v. cover (sth/sb) completely by flowing over or pouring down on it/him; submerge suddenly |
| overwrought |
adj. in a state of nervous excitement, anxiety, etc; tense and upset |
| ovoid |
adj. n egg-shaped (object) |
