Is Octopi the Correct Plural of Octopus?

[Burstsovenergy24]

Is it octopusses or octopuses?

[Staff Edit: Merriam-Webster gave us permission in 2004 to reproduce their definition our site, here.
...here is a text reference from the same source for the plural of Nautilus
...and another article with a good discussion]

 

[joel_ang]

Its octopuses, at least thats how I write it .

Theres sepia bandensis and latimanus........

 

[Jean]

Hmmmm I go for 1 octopus, 2 octopus, 3 octopus............! Good for arguments on a cold winters evening

J

 

[NickA5582]

Is it octopusses or octopuses? :?

I think it's octopi, but it can also be just octopus, octopods, octopoids, octopodes, octopussies, etc etc. I just use octopus.

to TONMO, Henlar!

 

[Burstsovenergy24]

I think the most correct form is octopods. But I use octopuses generally.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

O. vulgaris!!!!! Goooooood little octo!
The plural as far as I can tell is Octopusses because it if from the greek meaning foot mouthed or something similar (They have their feet round their mouths) and the greeks didn't have plurals with ii at the end like it is in latin.

Andy, the best explanation I've heard thus far. I'd never given this consideration until the matter was raised many months ago (this is, to a certain extent, thread or at the very least subject duplication). It is covered somewhere online, and I think you are correct in the spelling 'octopusses' - though for all I know on the subject matter I could be speaking through a hole in my head (I depend on the likes of you folk to ciorrect me in such matters).
O

 

[myopsida]

Actually, "octopusses" is not really a proper pluralization of octopus, since the word is not Latin (if it was it would be "octopi") but Latinized Greek. If you want to be pedantic, it should be pluralized as "octopodes."

 

[Burstsovenergy24]

Good for arguments on a cold winters evening

J

Yes, I love those.

 

[Nancy]

Actually, you can find an answer to this question.

The preferred plural of octopus in English is actually octopuses (one "s"), at least in the US.

I checked in the current edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. This is based on current usage.

I need to check elsewhere (in the OED) for UK preferences.

Nancy

 

[Architeuthis]

I believe the plural form most commonly used would be octopuses, but I prefer octopi.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

Looks like I was speaking through a hole in my head.

I prefer squid 8)

 

[joel_ang]

Here's the British version, which apparently is the same

Definition
octopus
noun [C] plural octopuses or octopi
a sea creature with a soft oval body and eight tentacles (= long arm-like parts)

 

[Darwinishungry]

Pl. form of Octopus

What exactly is the plural form of octopus? I've heard octopusES and octoPI from many different places. At m-w.com and dictionary.com, they have both down as pl. forms. They both can't be right, can they?


-DIH

 

[Cephkid]

YES THEY ARE! "Entirely to many plural names" is even on their resume! :P
Octopi
Octopuses
Octopods
Octopus
etc...

 

[cthulhu77]

Yep, one of those words that has numerous spellings...cephkid is correct...either one is just fine. There does seem to be a leaning in scientific papers to use "octopi" or "octopii" recently...
greg