Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

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[*] 286. Adjectives of Three Endings.—Most adjectives of the vowel declension have three endings: -ος, -η (or -α_), -ον. The masculine and neuter are declined according to the second declension, the feminine according to the first.

a. When ε, ι, or ρ (30, 218) precedes -ος the feminine ends in -α_, not in -η. But adjectives in -οος (not preceded by ρ) have η. Thus, ὄγδοος, ὀγδόη, ὄγδοον eighth, ἀθρόος, ἀθρόα_, ἀθρόον crowded. See 290 e.