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otiose

 - 3 dictionary results

o⋅ti⋅ose

[oh-shee-ohs, oh-tee-]
–adjective
1. being at leisure; idle; indolent.
2. ineffective or futile.
3. superfluous or useless.

Origin:
1785–95; < L ōtiōsus at leisure, equiv. to ōti(um) leisure + -ōsus -ose 1


o⋅ti⋅ose⋅ly, adverb
o⋅ti⋅os⋅i⋅ty [oh-shee-os-i-tee, oh-tee-] , o⋅ti⋅ose⋅ness, noun


1. lazy, slothful. 2. idle, vain, profitless. 3. redundant, worthless, pointless.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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o·ti·ose   (ō'shē-ōs', ō'tē-)   
adj.  
  1. Lazy; indolent.

  2. Of no use.

  3. Ineffective; futile. See Synonyms at vain.


[Latin ōtiōsus, idle, from ōtium, leisure.]
o'ti·ose'ly adv., o'ti·os'i·ty (-ŏs'ĭ-tē) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

otiose 
1794, "unfruitful, futile," from L. otiosus "having leisure or ease, not busy" (cf. Fr. oiseux, Sp. ocioso, It. otioso), from otium "leisure," of unknown origin. Meaning "at leisure, idle" is recorded from 1850.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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