observe
Part of speech: verb
Morphological type: simple
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”).
Inflected forms:
form: observes
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: observing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: observed
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: observed
pos: verb
tags: past
form: no-table-tags
pos: verb
tags: table-tags
form: glossary
pos: verb
tags: inflection-template
form: observe
pos: verb
tags: infinitive
form: observe
pos: verb
tags: first-person
present
singular
form: observed
pos: verb
tags: first-person
past
singular
form: observe
pos: verb
tags: present
second-person
singular
form: observest
pos: verb
tags: archaic
present
second-person
singular
form: observed
pos: verb
tags: past
second-person
singular
form: observedst
pos: verb
tags: archaic
past
second-person
singular
form: observes
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: observeth
pos: verb
tags: archaic
present
singular
third-person
form: observed
pos: verb
tags: past
singular
third-person
form: observe
pos: verb
tags: plural
present
form: observed
pos: verb
tags: past
plural
form: observe
pos: verb
tags: present
subjunctive
form: observed
pos: verb
tags: past
subjunctive
form: observe
pos: verb
tags: imperative
present
form: -
pos: verb
tags: imperative
past
form: observing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: observed
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
Senses:
gloss: To notice or view, especially carefully or with attention to detail.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: From this vantage point we can observe the behavior of the animals in their natural habitat.
She got up before dawn to observe the lunar eclipse.
“One horse?” interjected Holmes. ¶ “Yes, only one.” ¶ “Did you observe the colour?”
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.
gloss: To follow or obey the custom, practice, or rules (especially of a religion).
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: 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.
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.
gloss: To take note of and celebrate (a holiday or similar occurrence), to keep; to follow (a type of time or calendar reckoning).
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread.
On Sunday, most of Canada will observe daylight time and spring forward an hour in order to reflect the increasing sunlight.
gloss: To comment on something; to make an observation.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: The senator observed that the bill would be detrimental to his constituents.
Again, I farther obſerve, that as man is a compound being, ſo this renders him capable of ſeveral diſtinct kinds of pleaſure [...]
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."
Derived words: observance
observant
observation
observational
observatory
observer
Translations:
lang: Bulgarian
word: спа́звам
roman: spázvam
lang: Bulgarian
word: съблюдавам
roman: sǎbljudavam
lang: Catalan
word: observar
lang: Catalan
word: seguir
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 遵守
roman: zūnshǒu
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 遵循
roman: zūnxún
lang: Czech
word: dodržovat
lang: Danish
word: overholde
lang: Danish
word: følge
lang: Dutch
word: respecteren
lang: Dutch
word: in acht nemen
lang: Dutch
word: volgen
lang: Finnish
word: noudattaa
lang: Finnish
word: viettää
lang: Finnish
word: pitää
lang: Finnish
word: totella
lang: French
word: respecter
lang: French
word: observer
lang: French
word: garder
lang: Georgian
word: აკვირდება
roman: aḳvirdeba
lang: Georgian
word: დააკვირდება
roman: daaḳvirdeba
lang: German
word: beachten
lang: German
word: halten
lang: Greek
word: τηρώ
roman: tiró
lang: Haitian Creole
word: obsève
lang: Hungarian
word: betart
lang: Irish
word: coinnigh
lang: Italian
word: osservare
lang: Japanese
word: 守る
roman: mamoru
lang: Japanese
word: 従う
roman: shitagau
lang: Latin
word: sequor
lang: Latin
word: obsequor
lang: Latin
word: persequor
lang: Latin
word: teneo
lang: Latin
word: inhaereo
lang: Latin
word: persevero
lang: Latin
word: servō
lang: Polish
word: przestrzegać
lang: Polish
word: obchodzić
lang: Polish
word: zachowywać
lang: Portuguese
word: seguir
lang: Portuguese
word: acompanhar
lang: Portuguese
word: ter em conta
lang: Portuguese
word: cumprir
lang: Portuguese
word: respeitar
lang: Russian
word: соблюда́ть
roman: sobljudátʹ
lang: Russian
word: блюсти́
roman: bljustí
lang: Russian
word: соблюсти́
roman: sobljustí
lang: Russian
word: отмеча́ть
roman: otmečátʹ
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: comharraich
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: slediti
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: slijediti
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: opservirati
lang: Slovene
word: upoštevati
lang: Spanish
word: servar
lang: Spanish
word: observar
lang: Swahili
word: kushika
lang: Swedish
word: iaktta
lang: Zazaki
word: çım eşten