Standard Lemma guide

o'

prefix · prep · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US, stressed: /oʊ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: a
  • rhymes with -əʊ
  • CMU ARPABET: OW1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

prefix

Meaning 1

descendant of; used to form Irish patronymic surnames.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Examples

  • O'Reilly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep

Meaning 2

Contraction of of, usually before consonants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, contraction, unstressed

Examples

  • Gimme two o’ those ones.
  • from two o’clock until closing time
  • top o’ the mornin to ye

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

prep

Meaning 3

Contraction of on.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, archaic, contraction, unstressed

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Irish Ó. Unrelated to English o' (“of”).