*ooph*

n. 1. (Mil.) A small opening, as in the walls of fortification, or in the bulkhead of a ship, through which small arms or other weapons may be discharged at an enemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A hole or aperture that gives a passage, or the means of escape or evasion. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An amibiguity or unintended omission in a law, rule, regulation, or contract which allows a party to circumvent the intent of the text and avoid its obligations under certain circumstances. -- used usually in a negative sense; -- distinguished from escape clause in that the latter usually is included to deliberately allow evasion of obligation under certain specified and foreseen circumstances; as, a loophole in the law big enough to drive a truck through. [ PJC ]

a. Provided with loopholes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; egg-bearing; w, 'o`n an egg + fe`rein to bear. ] (Bot.) An alternately produced form of certain cryptogamous plants, as ferns, mosses, and the like, which bears antheridia and archegonia, and so has sexual fructification, as contrasted with the sporophore, which is nonsexual, but produces spores in countless number. In ferns the oophore is a minute prothallus; in mosses it is the leafy plant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. w, 'o`n egg + fe`rein to bear + &unr_; a cutting out. ] (Surg.) Ovariotomy. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Having the nature of, or belonging to, an oophore. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. L. Oophorida E. Oophoridiums [ NL., dim. fr. Gr. &unr_;. See Oophore. ] (Bot.) The macrosporangium or case for the larger kind of spores in heterosporous flowerless plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. w, 'o`n egg + fe`rein to bear + -itis. ] (Med.) Ovaritis. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. w, 'o`n an egg + fyto`n a plant. ] (Bot.) Any plant of a proposed class or grand division (collectively termed oophytes or Oophyta), which have their sexual reproduction accomplished by motile antherozoids acting on oospheres, either while included in their oogonia or after exclusion. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This class was at first called Oosporeae, and is made to include all algae and fungi which have this kind of reproduction, however they may differ in all other respects, the contrasted classes of Thallophytes being Protophytes, Zygophytes, and Carpophytes. The whole system has its earnest advocates, but is rejected by many botanists. See Carpophyte. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to an oophyte. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; (see Para-) + &unr_; an egg + fe`rein to bear. ] (Anat.) A small mass of tubules near the ovary in some animals, and corresponding with the parepididymis of the male. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; animal + &unr_; to eat. ] (Zool.) An artificial group comprising various carnivorous and insectivorous animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A animal that feeds on animal food. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; zw^, on an animal + &unr_; to eat. ] Feeding on animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This is a more general term than either sarcophagous or carnivorous. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Zoo- + Gr. &unr_; to love. ] A lover of animals. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Love of animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A zoophyte. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; zw^, on an animal + fe`rein to bear; cf. F. zoophorique. ] Bearing or supporting the figure of an animal; as, a zoophoric column. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;. See Zoophoric. ] (Anc. Arch.) The part between the architrave and cornice; the frieze; -- so called from the figures of animals carved upon it. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. zw^, on an animal + fyto`n a plant. ] (Zool.) An extensive artificial and heterogeneous group of animals, formerly adopted by many Zoologists. It included the cœlenterates, echinoderms, sponges, Bryozoa, Protozoa, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Sometimes the name is restricted to the Cœlentera, or to the Anthozoa. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. zoophyte, Gr. &unr_;; zw^, on an animal + &unr_; plant, akin to &unr_; to be born, to be. See Zodiac, and Be, v. i. ] (Zool.) (a) Any one of numerous species of invertebrate animals which more or less resemble plants in appearance, or mode of growth, as the corals, gorgonians, sea anemones, hydroids, bryozoans, sponges, etc., especially any of those that form compound colonies having a branched or treelike form, as many corals and hydroids. (b) Any one of the Zoophyta. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. zoophytique. ] (Zool.) Of or pertaining to zoophytes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Zoophyte + -oid. ] (Zool.) Pertaining to, or resembling, a zoophyte. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. zoophytologique. ] Of or pertaining to zoophytology; as, zoophytological observations. [ 1913 Webster ]