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Omphale (3 syl.). The masculine but attractive Queen of Lydia, to whom Hercules was bound a slave for three years. He fell in love with her, and led an effeminate life spinning wool, while Omphale wore the lion's skin and was lady paramount. The celebrated picture of Hercules spinning in the presence of Omphale, by Annibal Carracei, is in the Farnese Gallery.
"Omphale" sounds like root of "navel". I wonder what the connection is. Comments?
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On dit (French). A rumour, a report; as, “There is an on dit on Exchange that Spain will pay up its back dividends.”
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O'nus (Latin). The burden, the blame, the responsibility; as, “The whole onus must rest on your own shoulders.”
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Onyx is Greek for a finger-nail; so called because the colour of an onyx resembles that of the finger-nail.
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O'pal From the Greek ops (the eye). Considered unlucky for the same reason that peacocks' feathers in a house are said to be unlucky. A peacock's feather, being full of eyes, act as spies in a house, prying into one's privacy. Similarly, it is unlucky to introduce the eye-stone or opal into a house, because it will interfere with the sanctity of domestic privacy
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Orca The Orkney Islands, or Orcades.
I wonder about the etymology of this name, what relationship if any to "orca" the killer whale.
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Orchard properly means a kitchen garden, a yard for herbs. (Saxon, ortgeard- i.e. wort-yard.) Wort enters into the names of numerous herbs, as mug-wort, liver-wort, spleen-wort, etc.
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Orcus The abode of the dead; death. (Roman mythology.)
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Ordeal (Saxon, great judgment), instituted long before the Conquest, and not abolished till the reign of Henry III. Ordeals were of several kinds, but the most usual were by wager of battle, by hol or cold water, and by fire. This method of “trial” was introduced from the notion that God would defend the right, even by miracle if needful.
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Orkneys Either the Teutonic Orkn-cys (the water or islands of the whirlpool), in allusion to the two famous whirlpools near the Isle of Swinna; or else the Norwegian Orkeyjar (northern islands), the Hebrides being the Sudreyjar, or southern islands.
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