What does "octopus" mean?
Any of several marine molluscs of the order Octopoda, having no internal or external protective shell or bone (unlike the nautilus, squid and cuttlefish) and eight arms each covered with suckers.
Octopus
/ˈɒktəpʊs/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of several marine molluscs of the order Octopoda, having no internal or external protective shell or bone (unlike the nautilus, squid and cuttlefish) and eight arms each covered with suckers.
- Grammar: octopus is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: polypus, devilfish, eight armed mollusk, marine animal.
- Useful contrasts: land animal, nautili.
- Usage evidence: That octopus returned to the sea without being eaten.
How to use "octopus"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "octopus" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "octopus" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "octopus" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "octopus" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "octopus" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "polypus" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "octopus", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of several marine molluscs of the order Octopoda, having no internal or external protective shell or bone (unlike the nautilus, squid and cuttlefish) and eight arms each covered with suckers. broadly, countable
"Even octopuses without stylets almost certainly retain the molecular machinery necessary to build them."
- 2 bottom-living cephalopod having a soft oval body with eight long tentacles wordnet
- 3 A mollusc from genus Octopus. countable
- 4 tentacles of octopus prepared as food wordnet
- 5 The flesh of these marine molluscs eaten as food. uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 An organization that has many powerful branches controlled from the centre. countable
- 7 An instance of a player scoring a touchdown immediately followed by a successful two-point conversion, resulting in a total score of eight points. countable, informal, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To put (or attempt to put) one's fingers, hands or arms in many things or places at roughly the same time.
"He rises up on his wasted legs, the healer's hands octopussed on his head."
- 2 To spread out in long arms or legs in many directions.
"The bug-eyed press octopussed to their respective word processors."
- 3 To plug a large number of devices into a single electric outlet.
"If they're all for a single indoor tree, caution against "octopusing" of cords from other cords, and the use of a number of cords in a single receptacle."
- 4 To grow in use vastly beyond what was originally intended. broadly
"The interlocking business organizations have octopussed beyond all imagining in recent years; they are intermingled with citizens' union-smashing committees and women's strikebreaking “patriotic” groups, such as Neutral Thousands and Women of the Pacific."
- 5 To hunt and catch octopuses.
"The sport could be called octopusing or octopus hunting— and any number may play. Supposing you catch an octopus, what do you have?"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To behave like an octopus.
"Night fell especially dark and cold for August, inky blackness tendrilling in, octopussing even the street lamps, now dim with vague form."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
land animalnautili
Example
"That octopus returned to the sea without being eaten."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "octopus"?
Common synonyms include: polypus, devilfish, eight armed mollusk, marine animal, octopod.
How do you use "octopus" in a sentence?
That octopus returned to the sea without being eaten.
How do you pronounce "octopus"?
Pronounced /ˈɒktəpʊs/.
Etymology
From Latin octōpūs, from Ancient Greek ὀκτώπους (oktṓpous), from ὀκτώ (oktṓ, “eight”) + πούς (poús, “foot”).