oxystomatous 
Oxystomatous (ok-si-stom'a-tus), a. [< NL. 
oxyst/imntiix, < Gr. ofrf, sharp, + arofta, mouth.] 
Having the mouth or mouth-parts produced, 
pointed, or sharp ; specifically, of or pertaining 
to the Oxystomata. 
oxystome (ok'si-stom), a. and n. I. a. Same 
as oxi/stomatoiis. 
II. . Any member of the Oxystomata. 
Oxystrongylous (ok-si-stron'ji-lus), a. Consti- 
tuting or having the form of an oxystrongylus, 
as a sponge-spicule. 
oxystrongylus (ok-si-stron'ii-lus), n. ; pi. oxy- 
strongyli (-11). [NL., < Gr. ofi'f, sharp, + NL. 
strongylus, q. v.] In sponges, a supporting 
or megasclerous spicule like a strongylus, but 
sharp at each end. Sollas. 
oxysulphid, oxysulphide (ok-si-sul'fid, -fid or 
-fid), n. [< oxy(yen) + sulphid.] A sulphid in 
which one atom of sulphur is replaced by oxy- 
gen : as, antimony oxysulphid, SbgOSg. 
oxysulphuret (ok-si-sul'fu-ret), n. [<oxy(gen) 
+ sulphuret.] Same as oxysulphid. 
Oxytelinae (ok-sit-e-li'ne), n. pi. [NL., < Oxy- 
telus + -inw.] A subfamily of Staphyliniace, typ- 
ified by the genus Oxytelus. It is a large group of 
some 15 genera, having the prothoracic stigmata invisible ; 
antennae inserted under the lateral margin of the front ; 
the labrum corneous, usually with membranous appen- 
dages ; no ocelli ; abdomen of seven distinct segments ; 
anterior coxse conical and prominent ; and tarsi of five or 
three joints. 
Oxytelus (ok-sit'e-lus), n. [NL. (Gravenhorst, 
1802).] A genus of rove-beetles, typical of the 
Oxytelince, having the head, thorax, and elytra 
strongly punctate and rugose. It is a large and 
wide-spread genus of over 100 species, found in all quar- 
ters of the globe; 13 are North American. Many of them 
are most abundant in dung. 
oxytetract (ok-si-tet'rakt), a. and . [< Gr. 
ofif, sharp, T rerpa-, four, + d/crif, ray.] I. a. 
In sponges, having three axes and four pointed 
rays, representing the edges of a square pyra- 
mid ; oxyhexact with two of the rays rudimen- 
tary or wanting. 
n. n. An oxytetract sponge-spicule. 
oxytocic (ok-si-tos'ik), a. and n. [< Gr. of vrfmiov, 
a medicine to produce quick delivery, < 6ft>f, 
sharp, quick, + TOKOC, parturition, < T'IHTUV, renew, 
bring forth.] I. a. That serves or tends to in- 
duce or accelerate parturition. 
Indian hemp ... is credited, I believe justly, with 
oxytocic properties. R. Barnes, Dis. of Women, p. 170. 
II. n. A medicine or drug that tends to ac- 
celerate parturition. 
In some individuals it [quinine] produces an erythema- 
tous eruption, and it is also known to act as an oxytocic. 
Encyc. Brit., XX. 186. 
oxytone (ok'si-ton), a. and n. [< Gr. ofwrowjf, 
having the acute accent on the final syllable, < 
ofiif, sharp, acute, + rwof, accent: see tone.'] I. 
a. Ingram., especially Gr. gram.: (a) Having 
or characterized by the acute accent on the last 
syllable. 
On the last syllable of an oxytone word, when in the con- 
nection of discourse its higher pitch changes to a lower, 
the lower pitch is represented in ... the same way as in 
the hitter part of the circumflex accent 
J. Batttey, Essays, p. 111. 
(6) Causing a word to take the acute accent on 
the final syllable: as, an oxytone suffix. 
II. n. A word which has the acute accent on 
the last syllable. 
oxytone (ok'si-ton), v. t. ; pret. and pp. oxy- 
toned, ppr. oxytoning. [< oxytone, a.] Ingram., 
to pronounce or write with the acute accent on 
the final syllable : as, to oxytone a word. 
oxytonesis (ok"si-to-ne'sis), n. [< Gr. bvr6vr/atc, 
a marking with an acute accent, < b^vrovelv, 
mark or pronounce with an acute accent on the 
final syllable, < bl-vrovof, having the acute ac- 
cent on the final syllable : see oxytone, a.] Pro- 
nunciation or notation of a word with the acute 
accent on the final syllable. Amer.Jom: Philol., 
oxytonical (ok-si-ton'i-kal), a. [< oxytone + 
-ic-aZ.] Same as oxytone. 
OXytonize (ok'si-ton-iz), v. t. ; pret. and pp. oxy- 
tonized, ppr. oxytonizing. [< oxytone + -ize.~] 
To render oxytone. 
A demonstrative particle, pa- or pe-, is found before al- 
most every noun, and in some verbs also. There is also a 
tendency to oxytmize many words, especially substantives, 
although the accent shifts, as in other Indian languages. 
Science, IX. 412. 
Oxytricha (ok-sit'ri-ka), n. [NL., < Gr. 6fi>f, 
sharp, + 8piZ(rpix-), hair.] 1. The typical ge- 
nus of OxytricMdiK. Several species of these animal- 
cules are found both in fresh and in salt water. They are 
soft and plastic, without caudal setse, and with fine large 
ventral setaj. 0. pelliomlla is an example. 
2. [/. <.] Any member of this genus. 
4218 
Oxytrichidae(ok-si-trik'i-de), ii.pl. [NL.,<Oa;y- 
tncha + -idee.'] A large family of hypotrichous 
ciliate infusorians, containing Oxytricha and 
more than 20 other genera of free-swimming 
animalcules which are among the most highly 
specialized of their order, or, indeed, of their 
class. The numerous species inhabit either fresh or salt 
water, and some of them are known as haekle-animalcules. 
Also Oxytmchina. 
oxytrichine (ok-sit'ri-kin), a. and re. I. a. Re- 
sembling or relating to an oxytricha ; of or per- 
taining to the Oxytrichidai. 
II. n. Any animalcule of the family Oxytri- 
chidai. 
oxytrope (ok'si-trop), . A plant of the genus 
Oxytropis. 
Oxytropis (ok-sit'ro-pis), . [NL. (A. P. de 
Candolle, 1802), < Gr. oft>f, sharp, + rpoV<f, keel, 
< rpemtv, turn: see trope.] A genus of legumi- 
nous plants of the tribe Galegece and the sub- 
tribe Astragalew, distinguished from Astraga- 
lus by the sharp appendage on the keel-petals. 
There are about 200 species, in cold or mountainous re- 
gions of Europe, Asia, and North America. They are herbs 
Flowering Plant of Loco-weed (Oxytropis Lambtrti). a, the fruit. 
or shrubs, sometimes set with stiff spines. They bear pin- 
nate leaves, and violet, purple, white, or yellowish flowers 
in racemes or spikes. 0. Lamberti of the Eocky Mountain 
region, one of the loco-weeds, is a handsome large-flow- 
ered example. Many species are suitable for the flower- 
garden, especially for rockwork and borders. Some Old 
World species, as O. pilosa, have claims as pasture-herbs 
in barren soiL The name is sometimes Anglicized as oxy- 
trope. See crazy-weed and loco-weed. 
OXytylotate (ok-si-til'o-tat), a. [< oxytylote + 
-afei.] Sharp at one end and knobbed at the 
other, as a sponge-spicule ; having the charac- 
ter of an oxytylote. 
oxytylote (ok-sit'i-16t), n. [< Gr. offcj, sharp, 
+ rv/lof, a knob, knot.] A sponge-spicule of 
the simple rhabdous type, tylotate or knobbed 
at one end and sharp at the other, like a com- 
mon pin. 
Oxyura (ok-si-u'ra), n. [NL., < Gr. 6fi> f , sharp, 
+ ovpd, tail.] A genus of ducks : same as Eris- 
matura. 
oxyuric (ok-si-u'rik), a. [< NL. Oxyur(is) + 
-ic.] Of or pertaining to or caused by Oxyuris 
vermicularis, the pinworm or threadworm of the 
large intestine : as, oxyuric irritation. 
oxyuricide (ok-si-u'ri-sid), n. [< NL. Oxyuris + 
-cida,<Ij. ca;dere, kill.] Any anthelmintic which 
is destructive to worms of the genus Oxyuris, 
orpinworms. T. S. Cobbold. 
Oxyuris (ok-si-u'ris), n. [NL., < Gr. ofi>f, sharp, 
+ aiipa, tail. ] A genus of small threadworms 
oyster 
nilarin infests the rectum ; the female is half an 
inch long, the male much smaller. 
oxyurqus (ok-si-u'rus), a. [< Gr. ofiV, sharp, 
+ oiipii, tail.] Having a sharp tail, or pointed 
behind. 
OXyus (ok'si-ns), n. [NL., < Gr. ofi'f, sharp.] 
In sponges, a fusiform or spindle-shaped sup- 
porting spicule or megasclere, such as occurs 
in the genus Spongilla. 
oyapock (6'ya-pok), n. A Brazilian opossum: 
same as yapok. 
oye (oi), n. Same as oc 2 . 
oyer (6'yer), n. [< AF. oyer, OF. oir, ouir, F. 
ouir, < L. audirc, hear: see audient.'] 1. In law, 
a hearing or trial of causes. 2. The produc- 
tion of a document or copy of a document which 
an adversary has mentioned in his pleading; 
anciently, the hearing of the reading of such 
document. In early times often called oyer 
and determiner. 
He may crave oyer of the writ, or of the bond, or other 
specialty upon which the action is brought : that is, to 
hear it read to him, the generality of defendants in the 
times of antient simplicity being supposed incapable to 
read it themselves. Blackstone, Com. , III. xx. 
Court of oyer and terminer [OR oyer et terminer, hear 
and determine), a court for the trial of indictments in 
England, held under a commission by virtue of which the 
judges have power, as the terms imply, to hear and deter- 
mine specified offenses, usually all treasons, felonies, and 
misdemeanors. In some of the United States the name 
has been adopted for the higher criminal courts of corre- 
sponding jurisdiction. 
oyes, oyez (o'yes, o'yez). [< AF. OF. oyez, 2d 
pers. pi. impv. of oyer, F. ouir, hear: see 
oyer."] Hear! the introduction to a proclama- 
tion made by an officer of a law-court, or other 
public crier, in order to secure silence and at- 
tention: it is thrice repeated : occasionally used 
as a substantive, in the sense of ' exclamation ' 
or 'proclamation.' 
And there with all commaunded his heraude to make 
an oyes. Hall, Hen. VIII., an. 1. 
On whose bright crest Fame, with her loud'st oyes, 
Cries, "This is he 1 " Shak., T. and C., iv. 5. 143. 
oylett, n. See oilet. 
oynount, An obsolete variant of onion. 
Chaucer. 
oyst, n. A Middle English form of use. 
oyset, v. A Middle English form of use. 
oyster (ois'ter), n. [Early mod. E. also oister, 
oistre; < ME. "ouster, oystur, oystre, eyster, ostyre, 
< OF. oistre, ouistre, huistre, F. huttre = Pr. Sp. 
Pg. ostra = It. ostrea, now ostrica = AS. ostre 
= D. oester (> G. ftster, now ouster) = Icel. Sw. 
ostra = Dan. osiers, < L. ostrea, f., rarely ostre- 
um, neut., < Gr. oarpeov, an oyster, named from 
its hard shell (cf. AarpaKov, a shell, potsherd, 
earthen vessel: see ostracize, etc.), akin to ba- 
Tiov, a bone, shell, L. os (oss-), a bone : see os 1 .] 
1. An edible bivalve mollusk of the family 
Pinworm (Oxyuris vermiciilaris}, magnified. 
a, mouth ; b, pharynx ; c, beginning, and d, end of intestine, inter- 
mediate part not figured ; e, genital aperture ; /". opening of vessels ; 
e, their receptacle. 
or nematoids of the family Ascaridce, founded 
by Rudolphi in 1809 ; the pinworms. 0. vermi- 
A 1'ossil Oyster, Ostrea loHgirostris . 
Ostreidce, such as Ostrea edulis, the common 
species of Europe, and 0. virginica, that of the 
Atlantic coast of the United States. The species 
are very numerous, and are found in all temperate and 
tropical countries, in salt and brackish water ; there are 
also many fossil species. The shell is very irregular, both 
inequivalve and inequilateral, with one valve flattened and 
the other more concavo-convex, both rough outside and 
nacreous inside. Each valve has one purplish eye or spot, 
showing where the single adductorial muscle is attached, 
oysters being thus monomyarian. The gristly button- 
shaped body in the flesh is this ligament. The soft green- 
ish substance corresponds to a liver. The fluted layers 
around a part of the body are the gills or breathing-organs. 
Oysters have sex, and are very prolific. They spawn in 
north temperate countries in May and June, during which 
period and for some time afterward they are not so good 
for food ; whence the common saying that oysters are not 
eatable fin those months which have no r in their names. 
The spawn or fry is called spat or spet. Oysters are now 
very extensively cultivated, the resulting stock being su- 
perior to the natural oyster. Starfishes and some carniv- 
orous gastropods (see borer') are among the great obsta- 
cles to success with which oyster-culture has to contend. 
Oysters feed upon a great many different aquatic organ- 
isms of minute size. In confinement they eat corn-meal 
greedily. See cuts under cibrtrium, inteyrvpalliate, and 
Ostrea. 
