Ozzie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A casual slang name for a person from Australia ; a familiar nickname given to a man called Oswald or Oscar
2. An informal term for an Australian national ; a pet name for a man whose full name is Oswald or Oscar
3. Slang for someone born or living in Australia ; a shortened, friendly form of the male names Oswald or Oscar

Etymology: "Ozzie" is an Australian slang term for a hospital, built from a dropped-h pronunciation of the word "hospital." In everyday speech, the initial "h" of "hospital" disappears, leaving "'ospital," and that clipped form is the base. The diminutive suffix "-ie," familiar from words like "Aussie" and "brekkie," was then added to it, the same kind of playful shortening Australians apply to many everyday nouns. The result is a casual, affectionate-sounding name for a place most people would rather not visit. Because the word grew out of ordinary speech rather than a formal coinage, its history is simple: a sound pattern in pronunciation, plus a suffix that Australian English uses freely.

Synonyms: Aussie, Australian