Illustration of octopus
- octopus 1
octopus
noun
oc·to·pus
ˈäk-tə-pəs 
-ˌpu̇s
plural octopuses or octopi
ˈäk-tə-ˌpī
1
plural also octopodes
äk-ˈtä-pə-ˌdēz
-ˈtō-
: any of a genus (Octopus) of cephalopod mollusks that have eight muscular arms equipped with two rows of suckers
broadly
: any octopod excepting the paper nautilus
2
: something that resembles an octopus especially in having many centrally directed branches
… an octopus of a corporation which lends, buys, produces, and sells.—
Atlantic
Atlantic
The Plurals of Octopus: Usage Guide
The plurals of octopus are octopi, octopuses, and octopodes. Octopi is the oldest, having been adopted in the belief that words of Latin origin should have Latin plural forms. Though octopus did enter English via New Latin, it is in fact ultimately from Greek. For this reason, it was later given the Greek plural octopodes. In between the adoption of these etymology-based plural forms the word also gained a regular English plural: octopuses. This is now the most common plural form, with octopi also seeing some regular use. Octopodes is rare, but all three are accepted.
Examples of octopus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Closer to the ground are blue fescue, lamb’s ears, echeveria, dudleya and octopus agave.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
In the News Chronicle, published seven months after the rescue, Cox said the raft was initially attacked by a stinging octopus, and that the lost man, severed by a shark, was finished off by a manta ray.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 3 Apr. 2026
The problem is Nakumara, whose only real friend is his pet octopus, is way too shy to actually talk to Hirose.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
But the organ that senses those hormones is usually separate from the one that delivers the sperm; in male octopuses, the hectocotylus does both.
—Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for octopus
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Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
In the News Chronicle, published seven months after the rescue, Cox said the raft was initially attacked by a stinging octopus, and that the lost man, severed by a shark, was finished off by a manta ray.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 3 Apr. 2026
The problem is Nakumara, whose only real friend is his pet octopus, is way too shy to actually talk to Hirose.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
But the organ that senses those hormones is usually separate from the one that delivers the sperm; in male octopuses, the hectocotylus does both.
—Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for octopus
Cite this Entry
“Octopus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/octopus. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
octopus
noun
oc·to·pus
ˈäk-tə-pəs
plural octopuses or octopi
-ˌpī
1
: any of various sea mollusks that are cephalopods having eight muscular arms with two rows of suckers which hold objects (as its prey)
2
: something suggestive of an octopus
especially
: a powerful grasping organization with many branches
Etymology
from scientific Latin Octopod-, Octopus "octopus," from Greek oktōpous, literally, "eight-footed," from oktō "eight" and pous "foot"
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