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cardinal points of the compass, at any place, which lies in the direction of the true meridian, and to the left hand of a person facing the east; the direction opposite to the south.

Distance northward from any point of departure or of reckoning, measured on a meridian; -- opposed to Ant: southing.

in the region of, the back, or nape, of the neck; -- applied especially to the anterior median plate in the carapace of turtles.

A water course, esp. a dry one; a gully; a gorge; -- orig. an East Indian term. E. Arnold.

ls upon some rhumb between the four cardinal points, making an oblique angle with the meridian. -- Oblique speech (Rhet.), speech which is quoted indirectly, or in a different person from that employed by the original speaker. -- Oblique sphere (Astron. & Geog.), the celestial or terrestrial sphere when its axis is o…

s of water into which the great ocean is regarded as divided, as the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Antarctic oceans.

, somewhat advanced in years, who has never been married; a spinster. (b) (Bot.) A West Indian name for the pink- flowered periwinkle (Vinca rosea). (c) A simple game of cards, played by matching them. The person with whom the odd card is left is the old maid. -- Old man's beard. (Bot.) (a) The traveler's joy (Clemati…

A tribe of Indians who inhabited the south side of the Missouri River. They are now partly civilized and occupy a reservation in Nebraska.

A tribe of Indians formerly inhabiting the region near Oneida Lake in the State of New York, and forming part of the Five Nations. Remnants of the tribe now live in New York, Canada, and Wisconsin.

A tribe of Indians formerly inhabiting what is now a part of the State of New York. They were the central or head tribe of the Five Nations.

Opera flannel, a light flannel, highly finished. Knight. -- Opera girl (Bot.), an East Indian plant (Mantisia saltatoria) of the Ginger family, sometimes seen in hothouses. It has curious flowers which have some resemblance to a ballet dancer, whence the popular name. Called also dancing girls. -- Opera glass, a shor…

Ophidian.

That part of natural history which treats of the ophidians, or serpents.

A genus of venomous East Indian snakes, which feed on other snakes. Ophiophagus elaps is said to be the largest and most deadly of poisonous snakes.

A genus of cactaceous plants; the prickly pear, or Indian fig.

el or small room set apart for private devotions. An oratory [temple] . . . in worship of Dian. Chaucer. Do not omit thy prayers for want of a good oratory, or place to pray in. Jer. Taylor. Fathers of the Oratory (R. C. Ch.), a society of priests founded by St. Philip Neri, living in community, and not bound by a spec…

h did feign eccentrics, and epicycles, and such engines of orbs. Bacon. You seem to me as Dian in her orb. Shak. In orbs Of circuit inexpressible they stood, Orb within orb. Milton.

The supreme deity, the principle of good, creator of the world, and guardian of mankind. He is the opponent of Ahriman, the spirit of evil, both being sprung from Eternity, or, according to another version, Ahriman being the offspring of a moment of doubt on the part of Ormazd. Ormazd is attended by angels and archange…

stalline mineral; -- formerly called auripigment. It is used in king's yellow, in white Indian fire, and in certain technical processes, as indigo printing. Our orpiment and sublimed mercurie. Chaucer. Red orpiment, realgar; the red sulphide of arsenic. -- Yellow orpiment, king's yellow.

One of several species of East Indian birds of the genera Ortygis and Hemipodius. They resemble quails, but lack the hind toe. See Turnix.