Princeton's WordNet(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. oxygen, O, atomic number 8(noun)

   a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

GCIDE(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Oxygen(n.)

   (Chem.) A colorless, tasteless, odorless, gaseous element of atomic number 8, occurring in the free state in the atmosphere, of which it forms about 23 per cent by weight and about 21 per cent by volume, being slightly heavier than nitrogen. Symbol O. Atomic weight 15.9994.

Origin: [F. oxygne, from Gr. 'oxy`s sharp, acid + root of gi`gnesqai to be born. So called because originally supposed to be an essential part of every acid.]

Wiktionary(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. oxygen(Noun)

   A chemical element (symbol O) with an atomic number of 8 and relative atomic mass of 15.9994.

2. oxygen(Noun)

   Molecular oxygen (O), a colorless, odorless gas at room temperature.

3. oxygen(Noun)

   A mixture of oxygen and other gases, administered to a patient to help him or her to breathe.

4. oxygen(Noun)

   An atom of this element.

Origin: Borrowed from oxygène (originally in the form principe oxygène, a variant of principe oxigine ‘acidifying principle’, suggested by Lavoisier), from ὀξύς + γένος, referring to oxygen's role in the formation of acids.

Freebase(4.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Oxygen

   Oxygen is a chemical element with symbol O and atomic number 8. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γόνος, because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition. At standard temperature and pressure, two atoms of the element bind to form dioxygen, a colorless, odorless, tasteless diatomic gas with the formula O2. This substance is an important part of the atmosphere, and is necessary to sustain most terrestrial life. Oxygen is a member of the chalcogen group on the periodic table and is a highly reactive nonmetallic element that readily forms compounds with most elements except the noble gases Helium and Neon. Oxygen is a strong oxidizing agent and only fluorine has greater electronegativity. By mass, oxygen is the third-most abundant element in the universe, after hydrogen and helium and the most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust, making up almost half of the crust's mass. Oxygen is too chemically reactive to remain a free element in Earth's atmosphere without being continuously replenished by the photosynthetic action of living organisms, which use the energy of sunlight to produce elemental oxygen from water. Free elemental O2 only began to accumulate in the atmosphere about 2.5 billion years ago about a billion years after the first appearance of these organisms. Diatomic oxygen gas constitutes 20.8% of the volume of air.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Oxygen

   oks′i-jen, n. a gas without taste, colour, or smell, forming part of the air, water, &c., and supporting life and combustion.—n. Oxychlō′ride, a chemical compound containing both chlorine and oxygen in combination with some other element.—v.t. Ox′ygenāte, to unite, or cause to unite, with oxygen.—n. Oxygenā′tion, act of oxygenating.—v.t. Ox′ygenise (same as Oxygenate).—adj. Oxyg′enous, pertaining to, or obtained from, oxygen.—adj. Oxyhy′drogen, pertaining to a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen, as in a form of blowpipe in which jets of either ignite as they issue from separate reservoirs. [Gr. oxys, sharp, gen, the root of gennaein, to generate.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Oxygen

   a colourless, inodorous gas which constitutes one-fifth in volume of the atmosphere, and which, in combination with hydrogen, forms water. It is the most widely diffused of all the elementary bodies, and an essential support to everything possessed of life.

U.S. National Library of Medicine(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Oxygen

   An element with atomic symbol O, atomic number 8, and atomic weight 16. It is the most abundant element on earth and essential for respiration.

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. oxygen

   Song lyrics by oxygen -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by oxygen on the Lyrics.com website.

British National Corpus

1. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'oxygen' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3520

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'oxygen' in Nouns Frequency: #1913

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of oxygen in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of oxygen in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Sample Sentences & Example Usage

1. Jenny Drake:

   , because every minute counts without oxygen.

2. Dana Cohen:

   You’re pumping faster to try to get more oxygen.

3. Mehmet Murat ildan:

   When a dictator dies, oxygen increases in the world!

4. Emil Brunner:

   What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.

5. Russell Wohl:

   Some lenses—extended wear ones—allow the oxygen through though.

Images & Illustrations of oxygen