English Words Starting With O

• orontes

  nounLow
  /ɒˈrɒntiːz/A major river in Western Asia, flowing through Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon into the Mediterranean.
• oropendola

  nounRare / Technical
  /ˌɔːrə(ʊ)ˈpɛndələ/A tropical American bird of the blackbird family (Icteridae), noted for its large, hanging, woven nests and often bright yellow tail markings.
• oropharynx

  nounVery Low
  /ˌɔːrəʊˈfærɪŋks/The middle section of the pharynx (throat), located behind the mouth.
• orosius

  nounVery Low
  /ɒˈrəʊziəs/A proper name referring to Paulus Orosius, a 5th-century CE Roman historian, priest, and theologian.
• orozco

  nounVery Low
  /ɒˈrɒskəʊ/A proper noun, primarily a Spanish surname of Basque origin, meaning 'place of the holly trees.' It is not a common English word and functions almost exclusively as a surname or a toponym.
• orpen

  nounObsolete / Very Low
  /ˈɔːpən/To open or remove the roof of a structure; to roofless.
• orphan

  adjectivenounverbverb-transitiveB2
  /ˈɔː.fən/A child whose parents have died or are permanently absent.
• orphan drug

  nounC2
  /ˈɔːfən drʌɡ/A pharmaceutical agent developed to treat a rare medical condition, typically defined as affecting fewer than a certain number of people per country.
• orphanage

  nounB1
  /ˈɔːf(ə)nɪdʒ/A residential institution for the care and housing of children whose parents are deceased or otherwise absent.
• orphans' court

  nounVery low (technical/regional legal term)
  /ˈɔːf(ə)nz kɔːt/A specific judicial court in certain U.S. states (especially Pennsylvania and Maryland) with jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, and matters concerning minors and incapacitated persons.
• orpharion

  nounVery low frequency / Archaic / Niche technical term
  /ɔːˈfɛːrɪən/A Renaissance-era stringed musical instrument of the lute family, with a flat-backed, pear-shaped body and wire strings.
• orpheus

  nounC2
  /ˈɔː.fjuːs/A proper noun referring to the legendary poet and musician from Greek mythology who attempted to retrieve his wife Eurydice from the underworld.
• orphism

  nounVery Low (C2)
  /ˈɔːfɪz(ə)m/The religious or philosophical doctrines, practices, and mysteries associated with the legendary poet and musician Orpheus in ancient Greece, often involving beliefs in the soul's immortality, reincarnation, and ritual purification.
• orphrey

  nounVery Low
  /ˈɔːfri/An ornamental, often embroidered, band or border on a liturgical vestment, especially around the edge or as a long strip.
• orpiment

  nounC2
  /ˈɔːpɪmənt/A bright yellow mineral composed of arsenic trisulfide, historically used as a pigment and in medicine.
• orpine

  nounC2 (Very Low)
  /ˈɔː.paɪn/A succulent perennial plant (Hylotelephium telephium), also known as livelong or live-forever, with clusters of pink or purple flowers.
• orpington

  nounC1
  /ˈɔːpɪŋtən/A breed of large domestic chicken with soft, profuse feathers, originally developed in the town of Orpington, Kent, England.
• orr

  nounVery Rare
  /ɔː/A term used to describe a type of rock formation, specifically a rounded, free-standing rocky hill or outcrop, often found in northern England and Scotland.
• orrery

  nounVery Low
  /ˈɒr.ər.i/A mechanical model of the solar system that shows the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons around the sun, usually driven by clockwork.
• orrin

  nounVery Low (Proper Name)
  /ˈɒr.ɪn/A masculine given name of uncertain origin, often considered a variant of the name Oren.

Showing 2021–2040 of 3187 words.