o wner-o ccupier (owner-occupiers ) N‑COUNT An owner-occupier is a person who owns the house or flat that they live in. [BRIT ]
own|er|ship ◆◇◇ /oʊ nə r ʃ I p/ N‑UNCOUNT Ownership of something is the state of owning it. □ [+ of ] They decided to relax their rules on the foreign ownership of their airlines. □ …the growth of home ownership in Britain.
o wn goa l (own goals )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] In sport, if someone scores an own goal , they accidentally score a goal for the team they are playing against. [BRIT ]
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If a course of action that someone takes harms their own interests, you can refer to it as an own goal . [BRIT ] □ The debacle over its deputy president was another own goal.
o wn la |bel (own labels ) N‑COUNT Own label is the same as own brand . [BUSINESS ] □ People will trade down to own labels which are cheaper.
ox /ɒ ks/ (oxen /ɒ ksən/) N‑COUNT An ox is a bull that has been castrated. Oxen are used in some countries for pulling vehicles or carrying things.
Ox|bridge /ɒ ksbr I dʒ/ N‑PROPER Oxbridge is used to refer to the British universities of Oxford and Cambridge together. [BRIT ] □ …an offer of a place at Oxbridge.
oxi|da|tion /ɒ ks I de I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Oxidation is a process in which a chemical substance changes because of the addition of oxygen. [TECHNICAL ]
ox|ide /ɒ ksa I d/ (oxides ) N‑VAR An oxide is a compound of oxygen and another chemical element.
oxi|dize /ɒ ks I da I z/ (oxidizes , oxidizing , oxidized ) in BRIT, also use oxidise VERB When a substance is oxidized or when it oxidizes , it changes chemically because of the effect of oxygen on it. □ [be V -ed] Aluminium is rapidly oxidized in air. □ [V ] The original white lead pigments have oxidized and turned black.
ox|tail /ɒ kste I l/ (oxtails ) N‑VAR Oxtail is meat from the tail of a cow. It is used for making soups and stews. □ …oxtail soup.
oxy|gen /ɒ ks I dʒən/ N‑UNCOUNT Oxygen is a colourless gas that exists in large quantities in the air. All plants and animals need oxygen in order to live. □ The human brain needs to be without oxygen for only four minutes before permanent damage occurs.
oxy|gen|ate /ɒ ks I dʒ I ne I t/ (oxygenates , oxygenating , oxygenated ) VERB To oxygenate something means to mix or dissolve oxygen into it. □ [V n] Previous attempts at filtering and oxygenating aquarium water had failed. □ [V -ed] …freshly oxygenated blood.
o xy|gen mask (oxygen masks ) N‑COUNT An oxygen mask is a device that is connected to a cylinder of oxygen by means of a tube. It is placed over the nose and mouth of someone who is having difficulty in breathing in order to help them breathe more easily.
oxy|mo|ron /ɒ ksimɔː rɒn/ (oxymorons ) N‑COUNT If you describe a phrase as an oxymoron , you mean that what it refers to combines two opposite qualities or ideas and therefore seems impossible. [TECHNICAL ] □ This has made many Americans conclude that business ethics is an oxymoron.
oys|ter /ɔ I stə r / (oysters )
1 N‑COUNT An oyster is a large flat shellfish. Some oysters can be eaten and others produce valuable objects called pearls.
2 PHRASE If you say that the world is someone's oyster , you mean that they can do anything or go anywhere that they want to. □ You're young, you've got a lot of opportunity. The world is your oyster.
o ys|ter bed (oyster beds ) N‑COUNT An oyster bed is a place where oysters breed and grow naturally or are kept for food or pearls.
oyster|catcher /ɔ I stə r kætʃə r / (oystercatchers ) N‑COUNT An oystercatcher is a black and white bird with a long red beak. It lives near the sea and eats small shellfish.
oz Oz is a written abbreviation for ounce . □ Whisk 25g (1 oz) of butter into the sauce.
ozone /oʊ zoʊn/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Ozone is a colourless gas which is a form of oxygen. There is a layer of ozone high above the earth's surface. □ What they find could provide clues to what might happen worldwide if ozone depletion continues.
o zone-frie ndly ADJ Ozone-friendly chemicals, products, or technology do not cause harm to the ozone layer. □ …ozone-friendly chemicals for fridges and air conditioners.
o zone lay|er N‑SING [usu the N ] The ozone layer is the part of the Earth's atmosphere that has the most ozone in it. The ozone layer protects living things from the harmful radiation of the sun.
Pp
P , p /piː / (P's, p's )
1 N‑VAR P is the sixteenth letter of the English alphabet.
2 p is an abbreviation for pence or penny . □ They cost 5p each. □ …plans to increase income tax by 1p.
3 You write p. before a number as an abbreviation for 'page'. The plural form is 'pp.' □ See p. 246 for Thom Bean's response. □ …see Chapter 4 (pp. 109-13).
pa /pɑː / (pas ) N‑COUNT Some people address or refer to their father as pa . [INFORMAL ] □ Pa used to be in the army.
PA ◆◇◇ /piː e I / (PAs )
1 N‑COUNT A PA is the same as a personal assistant . [BUSINESS ]
2 N‑COUNT If you refer to the PA or the PA system in a place, you are referring to the public address system. □ A voice came booming over the PA.
p.a. p.a. is a written abbreviation for per annum . □ …dentists with an average net income of £48,000 p.a.