oes

noun

1. (form-of, plural)plural of oe
2. (form-of, plural, rare)plural of o, the name of the letter O.

   “A, aes; Bee, Bees; Cee, Cees; Dee, Dees; E, Ees; Eff, Effs; Gee, Gees; Aitch, Aitches; I, Ies; Jay, Jays; [...] En, Ens; O, Oes; Pee, Pees; Kue, Kues; Ar, Ars; […] Wy, Wies; Zed, Zeds.”

   “Mouthing out his hollow oes and aes, / Deep-chested music.”

   “These names […] may form regular plurals; thus, Aes, Bees, Cees, Dees, Ees, Effs, Gees, Aitches, Ies, Jays, Kays, Ells, Ems, Ens, Oes, Pees, Kues, Ars, Esses, Tees, Ues, Vees, Double-ues, Exes, Wies, Zees.”

   “[It] is desirable [...] that we may have a shorter and simpler term in stead of Double-u. [...] Dr. Webster [...] is not yet tired of his experiment with "oo;" but thinks still to make the vowel sound of this letter its name. Yet [...] If W is to be named as a vowel, it ought to name itself, as other vowels do, and not to take two Oes for its written name. Who that knows what it is, to name a letter, can think of naming w by double o?”

3. (obsolete, plural, plural-only)Small circle-shaped sequins of precious metal sewn to clothing for decorative effect, popular in the 17th century.

   “The Colours, that shew best by Candlelight, are; White, Carnation, and a Kinde of Sea-Water-Greene; And Oes, or Spangs, as they are of no great Cost, so they are of most Glory.”

4. (form-of, plural)plural of O (instances of the vocative O).

   “The Fifteen Oes and Other Prayers […] The Oes constitute about a third of the book.”

5. (alt-of)Alternative letter-case form of oes.

name

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of Old East Slavic.
2. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of Order of the Eastern Star.

verb

1. (form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person)third-person singular simple present indicative of OE