-oriented /-ɔːrient I d/ or -orientated COMB -oriented is added to nouns and adverbs to form adjectives which describe what someone or something is mainly interested in or concerned with. □ …a market-oriented economy. □ …family oriented holidays.
ori|ent|eer|ing /ɔː riənt I ə r I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Orienteering is a sport in which people run from one place to another, using a compass and a map to guide them between points that are marked along the route.
ori|fice /ɒ r I f I s, [AM ] ɔː r-/ (orifices ) N‑COUNT An orifice is an opening or hole, especially one in your body such as your mouth. [FORMAL ] □ After a massive heart attack, he was strapped to a bed, with tubes in every orifice.
ori|ga|mi /ɒ r I gɑː mi, [AM ] ɔː r-/ N‑UNCOUNT Origami is the craft of folding paper to make models of animals, people, and objects.
ori|gin ◆◇◇ /ɒ r I dʒ I n, [AM ] ɔː r-/ (origins )
1 N‑VAR [usu with poss, oft in/of N ] You can refer to the beginning, cause, or source of something as its origin or origins . □ …theories about the origin of life. □ The disorder in military policy had its origins in Truman's first term. □ Their medical problems are basically physical in origin. □ Most of the thickeners are of plant origin.
2 N‑COUNT [usu poss N , oft of/in N ] When you talk about a person's origin or origins , you are referring to the country, race, or social class of their parents or ancestors. □ Thomas has not forgotten his humble origins. □ …people of Asian origin. □ They are forced to return to their country of origin.
origi|nal ◆◆◇ /ər I dʒ I n ə l/ (originals )
1 ADJ You use original when referring to something that existed at the beginning of a process or activity, or the characteristics that something had when it began or was made. □ He was unable to identify the original name of the site.
2 N‑COUNT If something such as a document, a work of art, or a piece of writing is an original , it is not a copy or a later version. □ When you have filled in the questionnaire, copy it and send the original to your employer. □ For once the sequel is as good as the original.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] An original document or work of art is not a copy. □ …an original movie poster.
4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] An original piece of writing or music was written recently and has not been published or performed before. □ …its policy of commissioning original work. □ …with catchy original songs by Richard Warner.
5 ADJ If you describe someone or their work as original , you mean that they are very imaginative and have new ideas. [APPROVAL ] □ It is one of the most original works of imagination in the language. □ …an original writer. ● origi|nal|ity /ər I dʒ I næ l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ He was capable of writing things of startling originality.
6 PHRASE If you read or sing something in the original or, for example, in the original French , you read or sing it in the language it was written in, rather than a translation. □ He read every book or author it deals with, often in the original. □ The texts were sung in the original Italian. SYNONYMS original ADJ
1
first: …the first few flakes of snow.
initiaclass="underline" The aim of this initial meeting is to clarify the issues.
aboriginaclass="underline" Most Canadians acknowledge that the aboriginal people have had a bad deal.
5
fresh: These designers are full of fresh ideas.
noveclass="underline" The very idea of a sixth form college was novel in 1962.
innovative: …products which are more innovative than those of their competitors.
origi|nal|ly ◆◇◇ /ər I dʒ I nəli/ ADV [ADV with v] When you say what happened or was the case originally , you are saying what happened or was the case when something began or came into existence, often to contrast it with what happened later. □ The plane has been kept in service far longer than originally intended. □ France originally refused to sign the treaty. SYNONYMS originally ADV 1
initially: Initially, they were wary of Simon.
at first: At first, he seemed surprised by my questions.
first: I met him first at his house where we had a chat.
firstly: Firstly, it is needed for hormone production.
ori gi|nal si n N‑UNCOUNT According to some Christians, original sin is the wickedness that all human beings are born with, because the first human beings, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God.
origi|nate /ər I dʒ I ne I t/ (originates , originating , originated ) VERB When something originates or when someone originates it, it begins to happen or exist. [FORMAL ] □ [V prep/adv] The alfalfa plant originated in North Africa. □ [V n] I suppose no one has any idea who originated the story?
origi|na|tor /ər I dʒ I ne I tə r / (originators ) N‑COUNT [usu with poss] The originator of something such as an idea or scheme is the person who first thought of it or began it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the originator of the theory of relativity.
or|na|ment /ɔː r nəmənt/ (ornaments )
1 N‑COUNT An ornament is an attractive object that you display in your home or in your garden. □ …a shelf containing a few photographs and ornaments. □ …Christmas tree ornaments.