Oxygen, oks′i-jen, n. a gas without taste, colour, or smell, forming part of the air, water, &c., and supporting life and combustion.—n. Oxychlō′ride, a chemical compound containing both chlorine and oxygen in combination with some other element.—v.t. Ox′ygenāte, to unite, or cause to unite, with oxygen.—n. Oxygenā′tion, act of oxygenating.—v.t. Ox′ygenise (same as Oxygenate).—adj. Oxyg′enous, pertaining to, or obtained from, oxygen.—adj. Oxyhy′drogen, pertaining to a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen, as in a form of blowpipe in which jets of either ignite as they issue from separate reservoirs. [Gr. oxys, sharp, gen, the root of gennaein, to generate.]
Oxymel, oks′i-mel, n. a mixture of vinegar and honey. [Gr. oxys, sour, meli, honey.]
Oxymoron, ok-si-mō′ron, n. a figure of speech, by means of which two ideas of opposite meaning are combined, so as to form an expressive phrase or epithet, as cruel kindness, falsely true, &c. [Gr.,—oxys, sharp, mōros, foolish.]
Oxyopia, ok-si-ō′pi-a, n. unusual keenness of sight. [Gr.,—oxys, sharp, ōps, the eye.]
Oxyrhynchus, ok-si-ring′kus, n. an Egyptian fish, formerly sacred to the goddess Hathor, and represented on coins and sculptures. [Gr.,—oxys, sharp, rhyngchos, a snout.]
Oxytone, oks′i-tōn, adj. having an acute sound: having the acute accent on the last syllable.—n. a word so accented. [Gr. oxys, sharp, tonos, tone.]
Oyer, ō′yėr, n. a hearing in a law-court, an assize.—Oyer and terminer, a royal commission conferring upon a judge or judges the power to hear and determine criminal causes pending in a particular county. [Norm. Fr. oyer (Fr. ouir)—L. audīre, to hear.]
Oyez, Oyes, ō′yes, interj. the call of a public crier, or officer of a law-court, for attention before making a proclamation. [Norm. Fr., 2d pers. pl. imper. of oyer.]
Oyster, ois′tėr, n. a well-known bivalve shellfish, used as food.—ns. Oys′ter-bank, -bed, -farm, -field, -park, a place where oysters breed or are bred; Oys′ter-catch′er, the sea pie—a sea wading bird of the family Hæmatopodidæ, having dark plumage and red bill and feet; Oys′ter-fish′ery, the business of catching oysters; Oys′ter-knife, a knife for opening oysters.—n.pl. Oys′ter-pat′ties, small pies or pasties made from oysters.—n. Oys′ter-shell, the shell of an oyster.—n.pl. Oys′ter-tongs, a tool used to dredge up oysters in deep water.—ns. Oys′ter-wench, -wife, -wom′an, a woman who vends oysters. [O. Fr. oistre (Fr. huître)—L. ostrea—Gr. ostreon, an oyster—osteon, a bone.]
Ozocerite, ō-zō-sē′rīt, n. a waxy-like substance, having a weak bituminous odour, found in Moldavia and elsewhere, and used for making candles.—Also Ozokē′rite. [Gr. ozein, to smell, keros, wax.]