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
The film My Octopus Teacher tells the story of a man who goes diving every day into the underwater South African kelp forest and forms a close relationship there with an octopus.
—Barbara J. King, NPR, 13 May 2024
The 64-minute black-and-white movie about a one-eyed giant octopus terrorizing Mexican villagers was shot in six days for $12,000, with the beach at Malibu filling in for the Yucatan Peninsula.
—Dennis McLellan, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for octopus 
Barbara J. King, NPR, 13 May 2024
The 64-minute black-and-white movie about a one-eyed giant octopus terrorizing Mexican villagers was shot in six days for $12,000, with the beach at Malibu filling in for the Yucatan Peninsula.
—Dennis McLellan, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for octopus
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'octopus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near octopus
Cite this Entry
“Octopus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/octopus. Accessed 3 Jun. 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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share