Dictionary

observe en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɒbˈzɜːv/ (Received-Pronunciation, rare)
• əb-zûrvʹ (Canada, General-American)
• /əbˈzɝv/ (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• /əbˈzɜːv/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle French observer, from Old French observer, from Latin observō (“to watch”), from ob- (“before”) + servō (“to keep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to guard”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (sarwa, “weapons, armour”), Old English searu (“device”).

Meanings

1. (archaic) An observation (remark, comment or judgement).
   • “It sticks in my mind that he would take it very ill,” says Alan. “But the little man cried to me to run, and indeed I thought it was a good observe, and ran. The last that I saw they were all in a knot upon the beach, like folk that were not agreeing very well together.” 1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLC:

Forms

observe en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɒbˈzɜːv/ (Received-Pronunciation, rare)
• əb-zûrvʹ (Canada, General-American)
• /əbˈzɝv/ (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• /əbˈzɜːv/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle French observer, from Old French observer, from Latin observō (“to watch”), from ob- (“before”) + servō (“to keep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to guard”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (sarwa, “weapons, armour”), Old English searu (“device”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To notice or view, especially carefully or with attention to detail.
   • An extreme version of vorticity is a vortex. The vortex is a spinning, cyclonic mass of fluid, which can be observed in the rotation of water going down a drain, as well as in smoke rings, tornados and hurricanes. 2013 March 14, Frank Fish, George Lauder, “Not Just Going with the Flow”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 2, page 114:
   • She got up before dawn to observe the lunar eclipse.
   • “One horse?” interjected Holmes. ¶ “Yes, only one.” ¶ “Did you observe the colour?” 1892, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb:
   • From this vantage point we can observe the behavior of the animals in their natural habitat.
2. (transitive) To follow or obey the custom, practice, or rules (especially of a religion).
   • A sell-out crowd of 10,000 then observed perfectly a period of silence before the team revealed their black armbands, complete with stitched-in poppies, for the match. After Fifa’s about-turn, it must have been a frantic few days for the England kit manufacturer. The on-field challenge was altogether more straightforward. 2011 November 10, Jeremy Wilson, “England Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report”, in Telegraph:
   • Please observe all posted speed limits.
   • Some of them have, in fact, given them a theoretical elaboration which for subtlety, refinement, and elegance need make no apologies to the older economics, and which remains faithful to older theorizing in at least one respect, that the tradition of unintelligibility to the layman is scrupulously observed. 1958, Jacob Viner, The Long View and the Short, page 112:
3. (transitive) To take note of and celebrate (a holiday or similar occurrence), to keep; to follow (a type of time or calendar reckoning).
   • Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 12:17:
   • On Sunday, most of Canada will observe daylight time and spring forward an hour in order to reflect the increasing sunlight. 2020 (March 7), Jackie Dunham, "Daylight time: How to get enough sleep when the clocks spring forward, CTV News
4. (intransitive) To comment on something; to make an observation.
   • Again, I farther obſerve, that as man is a compound being, ſo this renders him capable of ſeveral diſtinct kinds of pleaſure [...] 1754, Thomas Chubb, A Collection of Tracts on Various Subjects, volume 2, page 43:
   • Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. ¶ "I never understood it," she observed, lightly scornful. "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics." 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
   • The senator observed that the bill would be detrimental to his constituents.

Forms

Deriveds

observatory · observation · observance · observant · observational · observer

Synonyms

celebrate (follow a custom)

Translations (176)

fi tähdentää (to comment) · fi observoida (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · yi אָבסערווירן (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · la servō (to follow) · be назiра́ць (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · bg отбелязвам (to comment) · sv iaktta (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · fi totella (to follow) · sl upoštevati (to follow) · qu qhaway (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · nl in acht nemen (to follow) · pl zauważyć (to comment) · te పరిశీలించు (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ca observar (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · fr garder (to follow) · la persevero (to follow) · ca observar (to follow) · bg спа́звам (to follow) · el τηρώ (to follow) · sh промо̀трити (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · cmn 觀察 /观察 (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ru наблюда́ть (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · es observar (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · dsb woglědaś (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pt comentar (to comment) · da betragte (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pt ver (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · cs pozorovat (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ru соблюсти́ (to follow) · sw kushika (to follow) · it osservare (to comment) · egy gm-m-H-ir (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · la teneo (to follow) · ar رَاقَبَ (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sh promòtriti (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · fi viettää (to follow) · grc ὁράω (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ka დააკვირდება (to follow) · la video (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sh прома́трати (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sh slijediti (to follow) · sv iaktta (to follow) · pl zaobserwować (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ru отме́тить (to comment) · uk назира́ти (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pt observar (to comment) · la observo (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pt apontar (to comment) · fa پاسیدن (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · uk нагляда́ти (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · nl opmerken (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ca seguir (to follow) · uga 𐎈𐎄𐎊 (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · da observere (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · fi noudattaa (to follow) · dsb woglědowaś (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · cmn 遵循 (to follow) · ko 관찰하다 (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sh slediti (to follow) · sh osmòtriti (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · uk спостеріга́ти (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pt acompanhar (to follow) · pl zaobserwować (to comment) · la animadverto (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · la persequor (to follow) · pt reparar (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · la obsequor (to follow) · th ตั้งข้อสังเกต (to comment) · nl volgen (to follow) · fi pitää (to follow) · sh opservirati (to follow) · cs podotknout (to comment) · fr respecter (to follow) · pt respeitar (to follow) · bg наблюда́вам (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · lv vērot (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ms tinjau (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · de bemerken (to comment) · hu észlel (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pt cumprir (to follow) · ja 守る (to follow) · be нагляда́ць (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · la inhaereo (to follow) · ka აკვირდება (to follow) · hu észrevesz (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · la inspicio (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · es observar (to follow) · fi seurata (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · zza pawen (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pt verificar (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · la aspecto (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ltg tiemēt (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · fi havainnoida (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · es servar (to follow) · bg съблюдавам (to follow) · cmn 遵守 (to follow) · ms perhati (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · cs poznamenat (to comment) · is skoða (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · txb yärp- (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · it osservare (to follow) · vi quan sát (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sh promátrati (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · et vaatlema (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · fi huomauttaa (to comment) · da bemærke (to comment) · fr observer (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pl zachowywać (to follow) · pl przestrzegać (to follow) · pl spostrzec (to comment) · pl obserwować (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · da følge (to follow) · ht obsève (to follow) · fur osservâ (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · vec oservar (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ru соблюда́ть (to follow) · fi siirtyä (to take note of and celebrate) · ru отмеча́ть (to comment) · pt ter em conta (to follow) · ru отмеча́ть (to follow) · fi viettää (to take note of and celebrate) · sk pozorovať (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sa पश्यति (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · hi देखना (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · cs dodržovat (to follow) · it osservare (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sl opazovati (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · eo observi (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · el παρατηρώ (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · fr observer (to follow) · de halten (to follow) · la considero (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · la speculor (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · zza çım eşten (to follow) · ja 従う (to follow) · nl observeren (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pl obchodzić (to follow) · fa مشاهده کردن (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sh осма́трати (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · nn observere (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ro observa (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sv observera (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ru блюсти́ (to follow) · nb observere (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · la sequor (to follow) · da iagttage (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · el παρατηρώ (to comment) · mk набљудува (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · la specio (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · gd comharraich (to follow) · ja 観察する (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · hu megfigyel (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sh осмо̀трити (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · de beachten (to follow) · th สังเกต (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · nl respecteren (to follow) · mba panid-an (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · hu betart (to follow) · da overholde (to follow) · la specto (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ga coimeád (to take note of and celebrate) · ar لَاحَظَ (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · de beobachten (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pt olhar (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · hu megjegyez (to comment) · fi tarkkailla (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · lld usserver (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pt seguir (to follow) · fa نپاهیدن (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · sh osmátrati (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · pt observar (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · ga coinnigh (to follow) · ca observar (to comment) · hy դիտել (to notice, to watch — see also notice) · fr remarquer (to notice, to watch — see also notice)