Oxysulphide
(Ox`y*sul"phide) n. (Chem.) A ternary compound of oxygen and sulphur.
Oxysulphuret
(Ox`y*sul"phu*ret) n. (Chem.) An oxysulphide. [Obsolescent]
Oxytocic
(Ox`y*toc"ic) a. [Gr. sharp, quick + birth.] (Med.) Promoting uterine contractions, or parturition.
— n. An oxytocic medicine or agent.
Oxytoluene
(Ox`y*tol"u*ene) n. [Oxy- (a) + toluene.] One of three hydroxy derivatives of toluene,
called the cresols. See Cresol.
Oxytone
(Ox"y*tone) a. [Gr. sharp + tone.] Having an acute sound; (Gr. Gram.), having an acute
accent on the last syllable.
Oxytone
(Ox"y*tone), n.
1. An acute sound.
2. (Gr. Gram.) A word having the acute accent on the last syllable.
Oxytonical
(Ox`y*ton"ic*al) a. (Gr. Gram.) Oxytone.
Oyer
(O"yer) n. [Anglo F., a hearing, from OF. oïr, F. ouïr, to hear, L. audire. See Audible.] (Law) A
hearing or an inspection, as of a deed, bond, etc., as when a defendant in court prays oyer of a writing.
Blackstone.
Oyer and terminer (Law), a term used in England in commissions directed to judges of assize about
to hold court, directing them to hear and determine cases brought before them. In the U.S. the phrase
is used to designate certain criminal courts.
Oyez
(O"yez`) interj. [Anglo-F. oyez hear ye. See Oyer.] Hear; attend; — a term used by criers of
courts to secure silence before making a proclamation. It is repeated three times. [Written also oyes.]
Oylet
(Oy"let) n. [See Eyelet.]
1. See Eyelet.
2. (Arch.) Same as Oillet.
Oynoun
(Oy"noun) n. Onion. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Oyster
(Oys"ter) n. [OF. oistre, F. huître, L. ostrea, ostreum, Gr. 'o`streon; prob. akin to 'ostre`on
bone, the oyster being so named from its shell. Cf. Osseous, Ostracize.]
1. (Zoöl.) Any marine bivalve mollusk of the genus Ostrea. They are usually found adhering to rocks or
other fixed objects in shallow water along the seacoasts, or in brackish water in the mouth of rivers. The
common European oyster and the American oyster are the most important species.
2. A name popularly given to the delicate morsel contained in a small cavity of the bone on each side of
the lower part of the back of a fowl.
Fresh-water oyster (Zoöl.), any species of the genus Etheria, and allied genera, found in rivers of
Africa and South America. They are irregular in form, and attach themselves to rocks like oysters, but
they have a pearly interior, and are allied to the fresh-water mussels. — Oyster bed, a breeding place
for oysters; a place in a tidal river or other water on or near the seashore, where oysters are deposited
to grow and fatten for market. See 1st Scalp, n. — Oyster catcher (Zoöl.), any one of several species
of wading birds of the genus Hæmatopus, which frequent seashores and feed upon shellfish. The European
