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Oahu
Island (pop., 2000: 876,165) of Hawaii, U.S.
oak
Any of about 450 species of ornamental and timber trees and shrubs that make up the genus Quercus in the beech family, found throughout temperate climates.
Oakland
City (pop., 2000: 399,484), western California, U.S., on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay.
Oakley, Annie
U.S. sharpshooter.
oasis
Fertile tract of land that occurs in a desert wherever a permanent supply of fresh water is available.
Oates, Joyce Carol
U.S. writer.
Oates, Titus
English fabricator of the Popish Plot.
oats
Hardy cereal plant (Avena sativa), cultivated in temperate regions, that is able to live in poor soil.
Oaxaca
City (pop., 2000: 251,846), capital of Oaxaca state, southern Mexico.
Oaxaca
State (pop., 2000: 3,438,765), southern Mexico.
Ob River
River, west-central Russia.
Obadiah
One of the 12 Minor Prophets in the Bible, traditional author of the book of Obadiah.
obelisk
Tapered four-sided pillar, originally erected in pairs at the entrance to ancient Egyptian temples.
Oberlin College
Private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio.
obesity
Excessive body fat.
obia
In West African folklore, a gigantic animal that steals into villages by night to kidnap girls on behalf of witches.
object-oriented programming
Computer programming that emphasizes the structure of data and their encapsulation with the procedures that operate upon it.
oblation
In Christianity, the offering up by the faithful of any gift for use usually by the clergy, the church, or the sick or poor.
oboe
Double-reed woodwind instrument.
Obote, (Apollo) Milton
First prime minister (1962–70) and president (1966–71, 1980–85) of Uganda.
Obraztsov, Sergey Vladimirovich
Russian puppeteer.
Obrecht, Jakob
Flemish composer.
Obregón, Álvaro
President of Mexico (1920–24).
Obrenovic dynasty
Family that provided Serbia with five rulers between 1815 and 1903.
O'Brian, Patrick
British writer.
O'Brien, Flann
Irish novelist, dramatist, and newspaper columnist.
O'Brien, Lawrence
U.S. political official.
O'Brien, William Smith
Irish political insurgent.
obscenity
Act, utterance, writing, or illustration that is deemed deeply offensive according to contemporary community standards of morality and decency.
observatory
Structure containing telescopes and other instruments for observing celestial objects and phenomena.
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