different between octopoid vs octopuslike

English

Adjective

octopoid (comparative more octopoid, superlative most octopoid)

1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling an octopus or octopod; octopuslike.
   • 1956, Amazing Stories:

     Moving about in experiment or sitting motionless in study were scores of the most hideous Martians they had yet seen—octopoid creature with enormous staring eyes and eight black tentacles.

   • 2000, David Piper, Fionnuala Jervis, The Companion Guide to London, Companion Guides (?ISBN), page 239:

     It is also touchingly absurd; its plan even is delightful and absurd in its informality: the Inner Circle, geometrically perfect, half-embraced by the faintly octopoid arms of the lake - both contained lop-sided in the arbitrary perimeter of the ...

   • 2007, Jonathan Rigby, American Gothic: Sixty Years of Horror Cinema, page 25:

     Barrymore dramatised his own duality by means of a watercolour self-portrait, depicting the so-called 'Great Profile' fused with a hideous, octopoid spider. […]

   • 2014, Karl Edward Wagner, Bloodstone, Gateway (?ISBN):

     An apish creature shambled with octopoid tentacles upon its shoulders; a human shape bore spider arms. Many of the depraved recombinations were incapable of erect ambulation, having blindly conjoined with limbs of too great disparity  […]

2. Widespread; reaching across or penetrating large distances; controlling many things from a central point.
   • 1989, Arun Bose, India's social crisis: an essay on capitalism, socialism, individualism and Indian civilization, Oxford University Press, USA

     This is how an octopoid 'controlled economy' generates a proliferating 'black economy'.

Synonyms

• see list in octopuslike

Noun

octopoid (plural octopoids)

1. An octopuslike creature.
   • 1987, Thomas R. McDonough, The Architects of hyperspace, Avon Books (?ISBN):

     The scene lit up like a horror ride in an amusement park: Hundreds of yellow octopoids hung from the roof above him; a huge orange octopoid the size of a desk pulsated on the floor four meters in front of him; […]

   • 1988, Mark E. Rogers, Nightmare of God, Ace Books (?ISBN):

     He could not see the octopoid he had assigned to block the tunnel, but sensed it was performing its task nonetheless, out of sight beyond a curve in the ramp; after the bladefish had dispatched the guards, it had slid down the harbor wall and  […]

   • 1989, Juanita Coulson, Legacy of earth, Del Rey (?ISBN):

     A smaller native species that the settlers called a bobber was swimming into the octopoid's visual range. The globular, jellylike bobber was unaware of its danger. Tentacles lashed out, grasping at the prospective meal. The contest was even.

   • 2013, Don Webb, The War with the Belatrin, Wildside Press LLC (?ISBN), page 40:

     The blue octopoid made no protest as Denise pried open the disk.

Anagrams

• odotopic

English

Etymology

octopus +? -like

Adjective

octopuslike (comparative more octopuslike, superlative most octopuslike)

1. Resembling or characteristic of an octopus, for example in having eight (or many) arms.
2. Widespread or able (from a central point) to control or manipulate many things.
   • 1948, Henry Robinson Luce, Time, page 26:

     Matsui, the Mitsubishi and other great families which had built up an octopuslike control of industry, banking and trade — would be put out of action.

Synonyms

• (octopus-like): octopal (rare), octopean, octopian (rare), octopic (rare), octopine, octopodal, octopodean, octopodial, octopodian, octopodic, octopoid, octopoidal, octopusal (rare), octopusesque (rare), octopusial (rare), octopusian (rare), octopusish (rare), octopusy (rare)