# Plural of ''octopus'' **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973 "2003-05-13T15:43:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/1 "2003-05-13T15:43:09Z")
This is _not_ a discussion of “octopuses/octopodes/octopi.” Nope. Nope. Nope. I was watching a program on one of the Discovery channels this weekend, and the subject was the octopus (or at least one kind). I could have sworn that several times the narrator used the word “octopus” itself as a plural, as in “Octopus are often found looking for crabs.” I’m also reasonably sure he never used on of the three “commonly documented” plurals. Now, knowing that the narrator was just reading a script, the question(s): Is “octopus” sometimes used as a plural form? Maybe it’s used as a plural form for multiple species (in a reversed sort of way that “fishes” is used)? Maybe it was just for the script because “octopuses” sounds dirty, “octopodes” is too obscure, and “octopi” is a coined plural. Maybe I just misheard him, and he never referred to “multiple eight-legged cephalopods.” ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/2 "2003-05-13T15:50:42Z")
Just found a site that refers to Octopus being accepted as a collective term. link below. [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus](http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus) ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/3 "2003-05-13T15:55:40Z")
Are you sure **Carl**? I don’t see that. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/4 "2003-05-13T16:01:50Z")
Here’s the quote, x-ray, that you missed from Carl’s link: > [@](#): > > The collective form octopus is also used, but is usually reserved for animals consumed for food. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/5 "2003-05-13T16:06:30Z")
I wonder if this sort of collective form is common in dealing with marine life and/or seafood. For example, this page, [http://www.mi.mun.ca/mi-net/fishdeve/shark.htm](http://www.mi.mun.ca/mi-net/fishdeve/shark.htm), from the Marine Institute of the Memorial University of Newfoundland says > [@](#): > > Shark are usually available during the months of July, August, and September. This page, [http://www.state.ak.us/adfg/notebook/shellfsh/dungie.htm](http://www.state.ak.us/adfg/notebook/shellfsh/dungie.htm), from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game says > [@](#): > > The crab are generally in waters shallower than 15 fathoms, but they have been found in depths down to 100 fathoms. This page, [http://www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/ALIR-4YPV32?open](http://www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/ALIR-4YPV32?open) from the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries Water & Environment says > [@](#): > > All rock lobster are landed live from the catching vessel and are generally purchased by the processor at the wharf. I note that “shark”, “crab” and “lobster” all have straighforward, well-known plural forms. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/6 "2003-05-13T16:17:35Z")
octopuses:p ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/7 "2003-05-13T16:20:53Z")
The online dictionaries I checked (Websters on [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com), Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary) only give octopuses and octopi, but a google search shows the plural phrase “two octopus” is more common than “two octopuses”, and ditto for three. Which I guess is due to people not knowing which plural to use. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/8 "2003-05-13T16:21:03Z")
The food thing is one theory, but I think it’s more the same kind of Discovery Channel “safari speak” that uses “lion”, “zebra”, “elephant” and just about any other animal name as a plural. I always think it sounds horribly affected… I can just imagine the Great White Hunters talking about how many lion they’d bagged before breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/9 "2003-05-13T16:22:22Z")
Same with chicken. When an animal becomes meat it changes from “count” to “non-count” Just make a sentence in which you have to choose “much” or “many” and you will see – the former being non-count and the latter being count. I have too many chickens in my coop. I ate too much chicken for dinner. Personally I’m all for the utter elimination of irregular plurals. But Im also for spelling reform, so I m probably weird. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/10 "2003-05-13T16:27:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by regnad kcin \* > Same with chicken. Chicken is IIRC originally the plural of chick, but has through the years come to be singular. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-octopus/174973/11 "2003-05-13T16:34:54Z")
> [@](#): > > I have too many chickens in my coop. > > I ate too much chicken for dinner. I’m not sure that this is a good example - unless you’re a real glutton, you presumably ate less than one whole chicken, so the plural wouldn’t come into it. Similarly, you wouldn’t say “I ate too many oyster last night.” I think it’s more of an “animals as livestock” thing. YMMV.