octopus

== English == === Etymology === From Latin octōpūs, from Ancient Greek ὀκτώπους (oktṓpous), from ὀκτώ (oktṓ, “eight”) + πούς (poús, “foot”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɒktəpʊs/, /ˈɒktəpəs/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɑktəpʊs/, /ˈɑktəpəs/ === Noun === octopus (countable and uncountable, plural octopuses or (nonstandard) octopusses or (hypercorrect) octopi or (hypercorrect) octopii or (rare) octopodes or (rare, nonstandard) octopus) (see usage notes) (countable, loosely) Any of several marine molluscs of the order Octopoda, having no internal or external protective shell or bone (unlike the nautilus, squid and cuttlefish) and eight arms each covered with suckers. (countable, strictly) A mollusc from genus Octopus. (uncountable) The flesh of these marine molluscs eaten as food. (countable) An organization that has many powerful branches controlled from the centre. (American football, informal) An instance of a player scoring a touchdown immediately followed by a successful two-point conversion, resulting in a total score of eight points. ==== Usage notes ==== The plural octopi is a hypercorrection, coming from the mistaken notion that the -us in octōpūs is a Latin second declension ending. The word is actually treated as a third declension noun in Latin. The plural octopodes (Latin: octōpodēs) follows the Ancient Greek plural, ὀκτώποδες (oktṓpodes). Rare octopii is doubly incorrect, as there is no i in the root. Sources differ on which plurals are acceptable: Fowler's Modern English Usage asserts that “the only acceptable plural in English is octopuses”, while Merriam-Webster and other dictionaries accept octopi as a plural form. The Oxford English Dictionary lists octopuses, octopi, and octopodes (the order reflecting decreasing frequency of use), stating that the last form is rare. The online Oxford dictionary states that the standard plural is octopuses, that octopodes is still occasionally used, and that octopi is incorrect. The term octopod (both octopods and octopodes can be found as the plural) is taken from the taxonomic order Octopoda but has no classical equivalent, and is not necessarily synonymous (it can encompass any member of that order). The uncountable use of octopus is usually reserved for octopus flesh consumed for food ("He ate too much octopus last night."). ==== Synonyms ==== polypus ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== 🐙 calamari cuttlefish Kraken nautilus squid === Verb === octopus (third-person singular simple present octopusses or octopuses, present participle octopussing or octopusing, simple past and past participle octopussed or octopused) To put (or attempt to put) one's fingers, hands or arms in many things or places at roughly the same time. To spread out in long arms or legs in many directions. To plug a large number of devices into a single electric outlet. (by extension) To grow in use vastly beyond what was originally intended. To hunt and catch octopuses. To behave like an octopus. === Anagrams === cop-outs, copouts, cops out == Dutch == === Etymology === From Ancient Greek ὀκτώπους (oktṓpous), from ὀκτώ (oktṓ, “eight”) + πούς (poús, “foot”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɔktoːpʏs/ Hyphenation: oc‧to‧pus === Noun === octopus m (plural octopussen, diminutive octopusje n) octopus == Latin == === Etymology === From Ancient Greek ὀκτώπους (oktṓpous, “eight feet”). === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ɔkˈtoː.puːs] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [okˈtɔː.pus] === Noun === octōpūs m (genitive octōpodis); third declension (New Latin) octopus ==== Declension ==== Third-declension noun. ==== See also ==== octipēs