octopus

Everyday

A sea animal with a soft, round body and eight long arms covered in suckers. tree →

In the lessons

In science: octopuses are molluscs without a shell; they are very clever, can change colour and shape to hide (camouflage), squirt ink to escape, and have three hearts and blue blood. In maths: «octo» means eight, like an octagon. Phrases: «octopus arms/tentacles», «octopus ink».

Examples

• An octopus has eight arms. tree →
• The octopus squirted ink and swam away. tree →
• Octopuses can change colour to hide. tree →
• We saw an octopus at the aquarium. tree →
• An octopus has three hearts. tree →
• The octopus squeezed through a tiny hole. tree →
• Octo means eight, so an octopus has eight arms and an octagon has eight sides. tree →

Note

«An octopus». Plural: octopuses is the most common; octopi is also used but less correct (the word is Greek, not Latin); octopodes is rare. Scientists call the arms «arms», not «tentacles».