Definition of Octopus

1. Noun. Tentacles of octopus prepared as food.

Group relationships: Devilfish
Generic synonyms: Seafood

2. Noun. Bottom-living cephalopod having a soft oval body with eight long tentacles.
Exact synonyms: Devilfish
Generic synonyms: Octopod
Group relationships: Genus Octopus

Definition of Octopus

1. n. A genus of eight-armed cephalopods, including numerous species, some of them of large size. See Devilfish,

Definition of Octopus

1. Noun. 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. ¹

2. Noun. The flesh of these marine molluscs eaten as food. ¹

3. Noun. An organization that has many powerful branches controlled from the centre. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Octopus

1. a nocturnal octopod [n -PUSES, -PI, or -PODES]

Medical Definition of Octopus

1. A genus of eight-armed cephalopods, including numerous species, some of them of large size. See Devilfish. Origin: NL. See Octopod. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Octopus

octopi
octopine oxidase
octopine permease
octoploid
octoploids
octopod
octopoda
octopodan
octopodans
octopodes
octopodia
octopods
octopoid
octopole
octopoles
octopus (current term)
octopuses
octopush
octopuslike
octopussies
octopyranose
octopyranoses
octoradiated
octoroon
octoroons
octose
octoses
octostichous

Literary usage of Octopus

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern by Charles Dudley Warner, Hamilton Wright Mabie, Lucia Isabella Gilbert Runkle, George H Warner (1902)
"II To BELIEVE in the octopus, one must have seen it. Compared with it, the hydras of old are laughable. At certain moments one is tempted to think that the ..."

2. Punch by Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman (1887)
"You who, in the tales of dreamers, Sucked down ships and swallowed steamers, Made the prey of kitchen schemers P " octopus it cheap to-day ! ..."

3. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: “a” Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature edited by Hugh Chisholm (1911)
"This true octopus occurs occasionally on the British coasts, ... The celebrated account of the octopus given by Victor Hugo in his Travailleurs de ta mer is ..."

4. The U. S. Coal Industry, 1970-1990: Two Decades of ChangeTechnology (1994)
"When an octopus bites into prey with its parrotlike beak, venom enters the wound and subdues the prey. This venom normally is not toxic to humans, however. ..."

5. Recollections of President Lincoln and His Administration by Lucius Eugene Chittenden (1891)
"Why would not the giant octopus answer for a military model ?" said another member. " He has claims that are not to be overlooked—that is, if his existence ..."

6. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria by Royal Society of Victoria (Melbourne, Vic.), Royal Society of Victoria (1897)
"octopus SUPERCILIOSUS, Quoy et Gaimard. 1832. octopus superciliosus, Q. and G. Astrolabe, ... Port Phillip Heads (JB Wilson). l octopus AUSTRALIS, Hoyle. ..."

7. The American Cyclopaedia: A Popular Dictionary of General Knowledge by Charles Anderson Dana (1875)
"An octopus crawling. The common poulpe of the French coast has given rise to the ... Verrill, and named by him octopus Bairdii; several, all males, ..."

8. A Text-book of the Physiological Chemistry of the Animal Body: Including an by Arthur Gamgee (1880)
"If a large artery be exposed in a living octopus, whilst it is immersed in water, and breathing freely, it will be seen to have a deep blue colour, ..."

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