| orbitosphenoid | <anatomy> Of or pertaining to the sphenoid bone and the orbit, or to the orbitosphenoid bone. The orbitosphenoid bone, which is situated in the orbit on either side of the presphenoid. It generally forms a part of the sphenoid in the adult. Origin: Orbit + sphenoid. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| orbitosphenoidal | <anatomy> Of or pertaining to the orbitosphenoid bone; orbitosphenoid. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| orbitotomy | Surgical incision into the orbit. Origin: L. Orbita, orbit, + tome, a cutting (05 Mar 2000) |
| orbivirus | <virology> Genus of Reoviridae that infects a wide range of vertebrates and insects. (18 Nov 1997) |
| orbulina | <zoology> A genus of minute living Foraminifera having a globular shell. Origin: NL, dim. Of L. Orbis orb. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| orc | <zoology> The grampus. Alternative forms: ork and orch. Origin: L. Orca: cf. F. Orque. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| orcein | <chemistry> A reddish brown amorphous dyestuff, obtained from orcin, and forming the essential colouring matter of cudbear and archil. It is closely related to litmus. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| orchanet | <botany> Same as Alkanet. Origin: F. Orcanete. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| orchard | 1. A garden. 2. An inclosure containing fruit trees; also, the fruit trees, collectively; used especially of apples, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, or the like, less frequently of nutbearing trees and of sugar maple trees. <botany> Orchard grass, a bright-coloured American oriole (Icterus spurius), which frequents orchards. It is smaller and darker thah the Baltimore oriole. Origin: AS. Ortgeard, wyrtgeard, lit, wortyard, i. E, a yard for herbs; wyrt herb + geard yard. See Wort, Yard inclosure. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| orchectomy | The surgical removal of the testicles. (12 Dec 1998) |
| orchella | 1. A violet dye obtained from several species of lichen (Roccella tinctoria, etc), which grow on maritime rocks in the Canary and Cape Verd Islands, etc. 2. The plant from which the dye is obtained. Alternative forms: orchal and orchil. Origin: OF. Orchel, orcheil, It. Orcella, oricello, or OSp. Orchillo. Cf. Orchil. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| orcheo- | See: orchio-. (05 Mar 2000) |
| orchesography | A treatise upon dancing. Origin: Gr. Dance. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| orchestian | <zoology> Any species of amphipod crustacean of the genus Orchestia, or family Orchestidae. See Beach flea, under Beach. Origin: From Gr. A dancer. See Orchestra. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| orchestra | 1. The space in a theater between the stage and the audience; originally appropriated by the Greeks to the chorus and its evolutions, afterward by the Romans to persons of distinction, and by the moderns to a band of instrumental musicians. 2. The place in any public hall appropriated to a band of instrumental musicians. 3. Loosely: A band of instrumental musicians performing in a theater, concert hall, or other place of public amusement. Strictly: A band suitable for the performance of symphonies, overtures, etc, as well as for the accompaniment of operas, oratorios, cantatas, masses, and the like, or of vocal and instrumental solos. A band composed, for the largest part, of players of the various viol instruments, many of each kind, together with a proper complement of wind instruments of wood and brass; as distinguished from a military or street band of players on wind instruments, and from an assemblage of solo players for the rendering of concerted pieces, such as septets, octets, and the like. 4. The instruments employed by a full band, collectively; as, an orchestra of forty stringed instruments, with proper complement of wind instruments. Origin: L. Orchestra, Gr, orig, the place for the chorus of dancers, from to dance: cf. F. Orchestre. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |