ostreo-, ostra-, ostre-, ostrei-, ostri-; ostraco-, ostrac-, -ostraca, -ostracan

Characterizing an oyster; ostracean: While the guests were in the living room, an ostraceous aroma drifted into the room from the kitchen.

A reference to oysters.

1. The act of banishing or excluding someone: "In ancient Greece, the banishment was by popular vote of the people regarding a citizen who was considered dangerous to the state; usually, the vote was used to get rid of potential tyrants or political rivals."

"The banished person had to leave (or face death) but he was allowed to keep ownership of his property and he could return when his ostracism period was over."

2. Etymology: a method of 10-year banishment in ancient Athens, by which the Greek citizens got together and wrote the names of men they considered to be dangerous to the state on potsherds or tiles, and a man whose name turned up often enough was sent away. From Greek ostrakismos, from ostrakizein, "to ostracize", from ostrakon, "tile, potsherd" and related to osteon, "bone" and ostreion, "oyster" or "oyster shell".

1. To exclude, shun, or to banish someone from a group: After Henry made so many vulgar remarks, he was ostracized as a talk-show host on TV.
2. To avoid speaking to or associating with someone: After the critical remarks were made by the member of the committee, Janet was ostracized from the project by the group.

When a person is ostracized in the business or social world, he or she may be said to have received the "cold shoulder" and the former associates will have nothing to do with him or her.

3. Etymology: from the Greek word ostrakon, "a tile" and these tiles were used in ancient Athens as ballots for voting. When it was feared that a Greek leader had become so powerful as to endanger the liberty of the state, he could by vote of the citizens be sent into banishment for a stated time.

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Mickey Bach spelled his cartoon as ostracise which is the British spelling and not the American spelling.

An intense aversion of shellfish: Toby just couldn't stand having lobster when his family went out to dine at a restaurant because he had ostraconophobia and wanted lobsters alive in water and not eat them!

The artificial breeding of oysters for the market; oyster-culture.

Someone, or something, which eats oysters.