octopodes

Noun

octopus (countable and uncountable, plural octopuses or (nonstandard) octopusses or (hypercorrect) octopi or (rare, hypercorrect) octopii or (rare) octopodes or (rare, nonstandard) octopus)

1. (broadly, countable) Any of several marine molluscs of the order Octopoda, having no internal or external protective shell or bone (unlike the nautilus, squid and cuttlefish) and eight arms each covered with suckers.
   • Even octopuses without stylets almost certainly retain the molecular machinery necessary to build them.2017, Danna Staaf, Squid Empire, ForeEdge, →ISBN, page 120
2. (countable, strictly) A mollusc from genus Octopus.
3. (uncountable) The flesh of these marine molluscs eaten as food.
4. (countable) An organization that has many powerful branches controlled from the centre.
5. (informal) An instance of a player scoring a touchdown immediately followed by a successful two-point conversion, resulting in a total score of eight points.
6. (countable) A safety device allowing divers to share an air supply in an emergency.

See all 12 meanings of octopus