ocean n |
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[ME occean, fr. L oceanus, fr. Gk Okeanos,
a Titan who rules over the river that encircles the earth in Greek mythology]
1 a : the whole body of salt water that covers nearly three fourths of
the surface of the globe b : any of the large bodies of water into which
the great ocean
is divided 2 : a very large or unlimited space or quantity |
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odyssey n |
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[the Odyssey, epic poem attributed to Homer recounting
the long wanderings of Odysseus, a king of Ithaca and Greek leader in
the Trojan War who after the war wanders 10 years before reaching home]
1 : a long wandering or voyage usu. marked by many changes of fortune
2 : an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest |
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Oedipus complex n |
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[L, fr. Gk Oidipous, the son of Laius and Jocasta
who in fulfillment of an oracle unknowingly kills his father and marries
his mother] : the positive libidinal feelings of a son toward his mother
and hostile or jealous feelings toward his father that may be a source
of adult personality disorder when unresolved |
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ogre n |
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[F, prob. ultim. fr. L Orcus, god of the underworld]
1 : monster that feeds on human beings 2 : a dreaded person or object |
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| Olympian adj |
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[L, fr. Gk Olympos, a mountain in Thessaly that
in Greek mythology is the abode of the gods] : lofty |
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| Olympian n |
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a being of lofty detachment or superior attainments |
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Olympus trademark |
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a photographic technology company |
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Orion n |
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[L, fr. Gk Orion, a giant hunter slain by Artemis in Greek mythology]
1 : a constellation on the equator represented on charts by the figure
of a hunter with a belt and sword 2 trademark : a motion picture
production company |
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orphic adj |
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[fr. L Orpheus, fr. Gk, poet and musician in Greek mythology
who almost rescues his wife Eurydice from Hades by charming Pluto and
Persephone with his lyre] 1 : mystic, oracular 2 : fascinating, entrancing |
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| Orphism n |
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[Orpheus, its founder]: a mystic Greek religion offering initiates
purification of the soul from innate evil and release from the cycle
of reincarnation |
