Chapter Ophiomancy to Opossum of O by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Opium is obtained from incisions made in the capsules of the plant, and the best flows from the first incision. It is imported into Europe and America chiefly from the Levant, and large quantities are sent to China from India, Persia, and other countries. It is of a brownish yellow color, has a faint smell, and bitter and acrid taste. It is a stimulant narcotic poison, which may produce hallicinations, profound sleep, or death. It is much used in medicine to soothe pain and inflammation, and is smoked as an intoxicant with baneful effects.

Opium joint, a low resort of opium smokers. [Slang]

Ople tree
(O"ple tree`) [L. opulus a kind of maple tree.] The witch-hazel. [Obs.] Ainsworth.

Opobalsam
(Op`o*bal"sam ||Op`o*bal"sa*mum) n. [L. opobalsamum, Gr. vegetable juice + balsam.] (Med.) The old name of the aromatic resinous juice of the Balsamodendron opobalsamum, now commonly called balm of Gilead. See under Balm.

Opodeldoc
(Op`o*del"doc) n. [So called by Paracelsus. The first syllable may be fr. Gr. vegetable juice.]

1. A kind of plaster, said to have been invented by Mindererus, — used for external injuries. [Obs.]

2. A saponaceous, camphorated liniment; a solution of soap in alcohol, with the addition of camphor and essential oils; soap liniment.

Opopanax
(O*pop"a*nax) n. [L., fr. Gr. vegetable juice + . a kind of plant: cf. F. opopanax.] The inspissated juice of an umbelliferous plant brought from Turkey and the East Indies in loose granules, or sometimes in larger masses, of a reddish yellow color, with specks of white. It has a strong smell and acrid taste, and was formerly used in medicine as an emmenagogue and antispasmodic. Dunglison.

Opossum
(O*pos"sum) n. [Of N. American Indian origin.] (Zoöl.) Any American marsupial of the genera Didelphys and Chironectes. The common species of the United States is Didelphys Virginiana.

Several related species are found in South America. The water opossum of Brazil which has the hind feet, webbed, is provided with a marsupial pouch and with cheek pouches. It is called also yapock.

Opossum mouse. (Zoöl.) See Flying mouse, under Flying. — Opossum shrimp (Zoöl.), any schizopod crustacean of the genus Mysis and allied genera. See Schizopoda.