Octopus Definition

oc·to·pus
Pronunciation: 'äk-t&-p&s, -"pus
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -pus·es or oc·to·pi /-"pI/
Etymology: New Latin Octopod-, Octopus, from Greek oktOpous
Date: 1758
1 : any of a genus (Octopus) of cephalopod mollusks that have eight muscular arms equipped with two rows of suckers; broadly : any octopod excepting the paper nautilus
2 : something that resembles an octopus especially in having many centrally directed branches

By permission. From Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition ©2002 at www.Merriam-Webster.com by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

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