Octopus

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Octopus \Oc"to*pus\, n. [NL. See {Octopod}.]
     1. (Zool.) A genus of eight-armed cephalopods, including
        numerous species, some of them of large size. See
        {Devilfish}.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Zool.) Any member of the genus {Octopus}.
        [PJC]
  
     3. (Fig.) Something resembling an octopus in having numerous
        controlling arms or branches that reach widely and
        influence many activities; -- used mostly of
        organizations, such as diversified corporations.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  octopus
       n 1: tentacles of octopus prepared as food
       2: bottom-living cephalopod having a soft oval body with eight
          long tentacles [syn: {devilfish}]
       [also: {octopi} (pl)]