Illustration of octopus
- octopus 1
octopus
noun
oc·to·pus
ˈäk-tə-pəs 
-ˌpu̇s
plural octopuses or octopi
ˈäk-tə-ˌpī
1
plural also octopodes
äk-ˈtä-pə-ˌdēz
-ˈtō-
: 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
an octopus of a corporation which lends, buys, produces, and sells—
Atlantic
Atlantic
Examples of octopus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While it is generally assumed that consciousness in humans — or, say, octopuses — arose by accident, humans are actively tinkering with AI in a way deliberately intended to mimic the very characteristics associated with consciousness.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
Rather than reveal the tentacles in Episode 1 and see more of what they’re attached to — an octopus, perhaps? — in ensuing episodes, the same silly little flappers pull the same trick every time.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2024
The octopus, the elephant, the great horned owl, the house cat, the giant tortoise, the chimpanzee: who, in all the vast animal kingdom, joins us in having intimations of mortality?
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
Overhead, a menagerie of developmental detachable toys, including a wiggly octopus, chiming turtle with mirror, crinkly sea star, squeaker crab, and chiming manta ray beckon little hands and feet and promote hand-eye coordination.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
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Saul Elbein, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
Rather than reveal the tentacles in Episode 1 and see more of what they’re attached to — an octopus, perhaps? — in ensuing episodes, the same silly little flappers pull the same trick every time.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2024
The octopus, the elephant, the great horned owl, the house cat, the giant tortoise, the chimpanzee: who, in all the vast animal kingdom, joins us in having intimations of mortality?
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
Overhead, a menagerie of developmental detachable toys, including a wiggly octopus, chiming turtle with mirror, crinkly sea star, squeaker crab, and chiming manta ray beckon little hands and feet and promote hand-eye coordination.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for octopus
Dictionary Entries Near octopus
Cite this Entry
“Octopus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/octopus. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
octopus
noun
oc·to·pus
ˈäk-tə-pəs
plural octopuses or octopi
-ˌpī
1
: any of various sea mollusks that are cephalopods having eight muscular arms with two rows of suckers which hold objects (as its prey)
2
: something suggestive of an octopus
especially
: a powerful grasping organization with many branches
Etymology
from scientific Latin Octopod-, Octopus "octopus," from Greek oktōpous, literally, "eight-footed," from oktō "eight" and pous "foot"
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