ob -abbr

  1. he died; she died
  2. observation

Ob -abbr

  1. Obadiah

OB -abbr

  1. obstetric; obstetrician; obstetrics

ob- -prefix

  1. inversely
    • ob ovate

Oba·di·ah [,ō-bə-'dī-ə] -n

  1. a Hebrew prophet
  2. a prophetic book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture

ob·bli·ga·to [,ä-blə-'gä-(,)tō] -adj

  1. not to be omitted : obligatory used as a direction in music

obbligato [-'gä-tē] -n

  1. an elaborate esp. melodic part accompanying a solo or principal melody and usu. played by a single instrument
    • a song with violin obbligato
  2. accompaniment
  3. an attendant background sound

ob·cor·date [,äb-'kȯr-,dāt] -adj

  1. heart-shaped with the notch apical
    • obcordate leaf

ob·du·ra·cy ['äb-də-rə-sē, -dyə-; äb-'du̇r-ə-, əb-, -'dyu̇r-] -n

  1. the quality or state of being obdurate

ob·du·rate ['äb-də-rət, -dyə-; äb-'du̇r-ət, əb-, -'dyu̇r-] -adj, adv, n

  1. stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
  2. hardened in feelings
  3. resistant to persuasion or softening influences

OBE -abbr

  1. officer of the Order of the British Empire
  2. out-of-body experience

obe·ah ['ō-bē-ə] -n

  1. a system of belief among blacks chiefly of the British West Indies and the Guianas that is characterized by the use of magic ritual to ward off misfortune or to cause harm

obe·di·ence [ō-'bē-dē-ən(t)s, ə-] -n

  1. an act or instance of obeying
  2. the quality or state of being obedient
  3. a sphere of jurisdiction
  4. an ecclesiastical or sometimes secular dominion

obe·di·ent [-ənt] -adj, adv

  1. submissive to the restraint or command of authority : willing to obey

obei·sance [ō-'bē-sᵊn(t)s, ə-, -'bā-] -n, adj, adv

  1. a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission : bow
  2. acknowledgment of another's superiority or importance : homage
    • makes obeisance to her mentors

obe·lia [ō-'bēl-yə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Obelia) of small colonial marine hydroids with colonies branched like trees

obe·lisk ['ä-bə-,lisk also 'ō-] -n

  1. an upright 4-sided usu. monolithic pillar that gradually tapers as it rises and terminates in a pyramid
  2. obelus
  3. dagger

obe·lize [-,līz] -vt

  1. to designate or annotate with an obelus

obe·lus [-ləs] -n

  1. a symbol or used in ancient manuscripts to mark a questionable passage
  2. the symbol

Ober·on ['ō-bə-,rän, -rən] -n

  1. the king of the fairies in medieval folklore

obese [ō-'bēs] -adj

  1. having excessive body fat

obe·si·ty [ō-'bē-sə-tē] -n

  1. a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body

obey [ō-'bā, ə-] -vb, n

  1. to follow the commands or guidance of
  2. to conform to or comply with
    • obey an order
    • falling objects obey the laws of physics
  3. to behave obediently

ob·fus·cate ['äb-fə-,skāt; äb-'fəs-,kāt, əb-] -vb, n, adj

  1. darken
  2. to make obscure
    • obfuscate the issue
  3. confuse
    • obfuscate the reader
  4. to be evasive, unclear, or confusing

obgyn [,ō-(,)bē-'jin, -(,)jē-(,)wī-'en] -n

  1. a physician who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology

OBGYN -abbr

  1. obstetrics-gynecology

obi ['ō-bē] -n

  1. a broad sash worn esp. with a Japanese kimono

Obie ['ō-bē] -n

  1. an award presented annually by a professional organization for notable achievement in plays performed off-Broadway

obit [ō-'bit, 'ō-bət, esp Brit 'ä-bit] -n

  1. obituary

obi·ter dic·tum [,ō-bə-tər-'dik-təm, ,ä-] -n

  1. an incidental and collateral opinion that is uttered by a judge but is not binding
  2. an incidental remark or observation

obit·u·ary [ə-'bi-chə-,wer-ē, ō-, -'bi-chə-rē] -n, adj

  1. a notice of a person's death usu. with a short biographical account

obj -abbr

  1. object; objective

ob·ject ['äb-jikt, -(,)jekt] -n, adj

  1. something material that may be perceived by the senses
    • I see an object in the distance
  2. something that when viewed stirs a particular emotion (as pity)
    • look to the tragic loading of this bed...the object poisons sight; let it be hid -- Shak.
  3. something mental or physical toward which thought, feeling, or action is directed
    • an object for study
    • the object of my affection
    • delicately carved art object s
  4. something physical that is perceived by an individual and becomes an agent for psychological identification
    • the mother is the primary object of the child
  5. the goal or end of an effort or activity : purpose, objective
    • their object is to investigate the matter thoroughly
  6. a cause for attention or concern
    • money is no object
  7. a thing that forms an element of or constitutes the subject matter of an investigation or science
  8. a noun or noun equivalent (as a pronoun, gerund, or clause) denoting the goal or result of the action of a verb
  9. a noun or noun equivalent in a prepositional phrase
  10. a data structure in object-oriented programming that can contain functions as well as data, variables, and other data structures
  11. a discrete entity (as a window or icon) in computer graphics that can be manipulated independently of other such entities
  12. to put forth in opposition or as an objection
    • object ed that the statement was misleading
  13. to oppose something firmly and usu. with words or arguments
  14. to feel distaste for something

object [same as ¹] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being object code
    • an object file

ob·ject ball ['äb-jik(t)-, -(,)jek(t)-] -n

  1. the ball first struck by the cue ball in pool or billiards
  2. a ball hit by the cue ball

object code -n

  1. a computer program after translation from source code usu. into machine language by a compiler

ob·jec·ti·fy [əb-'jek-tə-,fī] -vt, n

  1. to treat as an object or cause to have objective reality
  2. to give expression to (as an abstract notion, feeling, or ideal) in a form that can be experienced by others
    • it is the essence of the fairy tale to objectify differing facets of the child's emotional experience -- John Updike

ob·jec·tion [əb-'jek-shən] -n

  1. an act of objecting
  2. a reason or argument presented in opposition
  3. a feeling or expression of disapproval

ob·jec·tion·able [-sh(ə-)nə-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. undesirable, offensive

ob·jec·tive [əb-'jek-tiv, äb-] -adj, adv, n

  1. relating to or existing as an object of thought without consideration of independent existence used chiefly in medieval philosophy
  2. of, relating to, or being an object, phenomenon, or condition in the realm of sensible experience independent of individual thought and perceptible by all observers : having reality independent of the mind
    • objective reality
    • our reveries...are significantly and repeatedly shaped by our transactions with the objective world -- Marvin Reznikoff
  3. perceptible to persons other than the affected individual
  4. involving or deriving from sense perception or experience with actual objects, conditions, or phenomena
    • objective awareness
    • objective data
  5. relating to, characteristic of, or constituting the case of words that follow prepositions or transitive verbs
  6. expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations
    • objective art
    • an objective history of the war
    • an objective judgment
  7. limited to choices of fixed alternatives and reducing subjective factors to a minimum

objective -n

  1. a lens or system of lenses that forms an image of an object
  2. something toward which effort is directed : an aim, goal, or end of action
  3. a strategic position to be attained or a purpose to be achieved by a military operation

objective complement -n

  1. a noun, adjective, or pronoun used in the predicate as complement to a verb and as qualifier of its direct object (as chairmanin we elected him chairman)

objective correlative -n

  1. something (as a situation or chain of events) that symbolizes or objectifies a particular emotion and that may be used in creative writing to evoke a desired emotional response in the reader

ob·jec·tiv·ism [əb-'jek-ti-,vi-zəm, äb-] -n, adj or n, adj

  1. any of various theories asserting the validity of objective phenomena over subjective experience
  2. realism
  3. an ethical theory that moral good is objectively real or that moral precepts are objectively valid
  4. a 20th century movement in poetry growing out of imagism and putting stress on form

ob·ject language ['äb-jikt-, -(,)jekt-] -n

  1. target language

ob·ject lesson ['äb-jikt-, -(,)jekt-] -n

  1. something that serves as a practical example of a principle or abstract idea

ob·jectori·ent·ed [-,ȯr-ē-,en-təd] -adj

  1. relating to, used in, or implemented by object-oriented programming
    • an objectoriented language

objectoriented programming -n

  1. computer programming in which programming objects are used to form additional objects and are arranged into hierarchies and in which a single object member (as a variable or function) may be used in several different but related ways

ob·jet d'art [,ȯb-,zhā-'där] -n

  1. an article of some artistic value
  2. curio called also objet

ob·jet trou·ve ['ȯb-,zhā-trü-'vā] -n

  1. a natural or discarded object found by chance and held to have aesthetic value

ob·jur·ga·tion [,äb-jər-'gā-shən] -n, vt, adj

  1. a harsh rebuke

obl -abbr

  1. oblique
  2. oblong

ob·lan·ceo·late [(,)äb-'lan(t)-sē-ə-,lāt] -adj

  1. inversely lanceolate
    • an oblanceolate leaf

ob·last ['ä-,blast, 'ȯ-, -bləst] -n

  1. a political subdivision of Imperial Russia or a republic of the U.S.S.R. or of the Russian Federation

ob·late [ä-'blāt, 'ä-,] -adj, n

  1. flattened or depressed at the poles
    • an oblate spheroid
  2. a layman living in a monastery under a modified rule and without vows
  3. a member of one of several Roman Catholic communities of men or women

ob·la·tion [ə-'blā-shən, ō-] -n

  1. the act of making a religious offering
  2. the act of offering the eucharistic elements to God
  3. something offered in worship or devotion : a holy gift offered usu. at an altar or shrine

ob·li·gate ['ä-blə-,gāt] -vt

  1. to bind legally or morally : constrain
  2. to commit (as funds) to meet an obligation
  3. restricted to one particularly characteristic mode of life
    • an obligate parasite
  4. biologically essential for survival
    • obligate mutualism

ob·li·ga·tion [,ä-blə-'gā-shən] -n

  1. the action of obligating oneself to a course of action (as by a promise or vow)
  2. something (as a formal contract, a promise, or the demands of conscience or custom) that obligates one to a course of action
  3. a debt security (as a mortgage or corporate bond)
  4. a commitment (as by a government) to pay a particular sum of money
  5. an amount owed under such an obligation
    • unable to meet its obligation s, the company went into bankruptcy
  6. a condition or feeling of being obligated
  7. a debt of gratitude
  8. something one is bound to do : duty, responsibility

oblig·a·to·ry [ə-'bli-gə-,tȯr-ē, ä- also 'ä-bli-gə-] -adj, adv

  1. binding in law or conscience
  2. relating to or enforcing an obligation
    • a writ obligatory
  3. mandatory, required
    • obligatory military service
  4. so commonplace as to be a convention, fashion, or cliche
    • the obligatory death scene in opera
  5. obligate

oblige [ə-'blīj] -vb, n

  1. to constrain by physical, moral, or legal force or by the exigencies of circumstance
    • obliged to find a job
  2. to put in one's debt by a favor or service
    • we are much obliged for your help
  3. to do a favor for
    • always ready to oblige a friend
  4. to do something as or as if as a favor

ob·li·gee [,ä-blə-'jē] -n

  1. one to whom another is obligated (as by a contract)
  2. one who is protected by a surety bond

obliging [-jiŋ-lē] -adj, adv, n

  1. willing to do favors : helpful

ob·li·gor [,ä-blə-'gȯr, -'jȯr] -n

  1. one who is bound by a legal obligation

oblique [ō-'blēk, ə-, -'blīk; military usu ī] -adj, adv, n

  1. neither perpendicular nor parallel : inclined
  2. having the axis not perpendicular to the base
    • an oblique cone
  3. having no right angle
    • an oblique triangle
  4. not straightforward : indirect
  5. obscure
  6. devious, underhanded
  7. situated obliquely and having one end not inserted on bone
    • oblique muscles
  8. taken from an airplane with the camera directed horizontally or diagonally downward
    • an oblique photograph
  9. something (as a line) that is oblique
  10. any of several oblique muscles
  11. any of the thin flat muscles forming the middle and outer layers of the lateral walls of the abdomen
  12. at a 45 degree angle
    • to the right oblique, march

oblique angle -n

  1. an acute or obtuse angle

oblique case -n

  1. a grammatical case other than the nominative or vocative

obliq·ui·ty [ō-'bli-kwə-tē, ə-] -n

  1. deviation from moral rectitude or sound thinking
  2. deviation from parallelism or perpendicularity
  3. the amount of such deviation
  4. the angle between the planes of the earth's equator and orbit having a value of about 2327
    • obliquity of the ecliptic
  5. indirectness or deliberate obscurity of speech or conduct
  6. an obscure or confusing statement

oblit·er·ate [ə-'bli-tə-,rāt, ō-] -vt, n

  1. to remove utterly from recognition or memory
  2. to remove from existence : destroy utterly all trace, indication, or significance of
  3. to cause to disappear (as a bodily part or a scar) or collapse (as a duct conveying body fluid) : remove
    • a blood vessel obliterated by inflammation
  4. to make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or wearing away
  5. cancel

oblit·er·a·tive [ə-'bli-tə-,rā-tiv, ō-, -rə-tiv] -adj

  1. : inducing or characterized by obliteration: as
  2. causing or accompanied by closure or collapse of a lumen
    • obliterative arterial disease
  3. tending to make inconspicuous
    • obliterative behavior

obliv·i·on [ə-'bli-vē-ən, ō-, ä-] -n

  1. the fact or condition of forgetting or having forgotten
  2. the condition of being oblivious
  3. the condition or state of being forgotten or unknown

obliv·i·ous [-vē-əs] -adj, adv, n

  1. lacking remembrance, memory, or mindful attention
  2. lacking active conscious knowledge or awareness usu. used with of or to

ob·long ['ä-,blȯŋ] -adj, n

  1. deviating from a square, circular, or spherical form by elongation in one dimension
    • an oblong piece of paper
    • an oblong melon

ob·lo·quy ['ä-blə-kwē] -n

  1. a strongly condemnatory utterance : abusive language
  2. the condition of one that is discredited : bad repute

ob·nox·ious [äb-'näk-shəs, əb-] -adj, adv, n

  1. exposed to something unpleasant or harmful used with to
  2. deserving of censure
  3. odiously or disgustingly objectionable : highly offensive

ob·nu·bi·late [äb-'nü-bə-,lāt, -'nyü-] -vt, n

  1. becloud, obscure

OBO -abbr

  1. or best offer

oboe ['ō-(,)bō] -n

  1. a double-reed woodwind instrument having a conical tube, a brilliant penetrating tone, and a usual range from B flat below middle C upward for over 2 octaves

obol ['ä-bəl, 'ō-] -n

  1. an ancient Greek coin or weight equal to drachma

ob·ovate [(,)äb-'ō-,vāt] -adj

  1. ovate with the narrower end basal
    • obovate leaves

ob·ovoid [-,vȯid] -adj

  1. ovoid with the broad end toward the apex
    • an obovoid fruit

ob·scene [äb-'sēn, əb-] -adj, adv

  1. disgusting to the senses : repulsive
  2. abhorrent to morality or virtue
  3. designed to incite to lust or depravity
  4. containing or being language regarded as taboo in polite usage
    • obscene lyrics
  5. repulsive by reason of crass disregard of moral or ethical principles
    • an obscene misuse of power
  6. so excessive as to be offensive
    • obscene wealth
    • obscene waste

ob·scen·i·ty [-'se-nə-tē also -'sē-] -n

  1. the quality or state of being obscene
  2. something (as an utterance or act) that is obscene

ob·scur·ant [äb-'skyu̇r-ənt, əb-] -adj, n

  1. tending to make obscure
    • obscurant language

ob·scu·ran·tism [äb-'skyu̇r-ən-,ti-zəm, əb-; ,äb-skyu̇-'ran-] -n, n or adj

  1. opposition to the spread of knowledge : a policy of withholding knowledge from the general public
  2. a style (as in literature or art) characterized by deliberate vagueness or abstruseness
  3. an act or instance of obscurantism

ob·scure [äb-'skyu̇r, əb-] -adj, adv, n

  1. dark, dim
  2. shrouded in or hidden by darkness
  3. not clearly seen or easily distinguished : faint
    • obscure markings
  4. not readily understood or clearly expressed
  5. mysterious
  6. : relatively unknown: as
  7. remote, secluded
    • an obscure village
  8. not prominent or famous
    • an obscure poet
  9. constituting the unstressed vowel or having unstressed as its value

obscure [,äb-skyu̇-'rā-shən] -vt, n

  1. to make dark, dim, or indistinct
  2. to conceal or hide by or as if by covering
  3. to reduce (a vowel) to the value
  4. obscurity

ob·scu·ri·ty [äb-'skyu̇r-ə-tē, əb-] -n

  1. one that is obscure
  2. the quality or state of being obscure

ob·se·qui·ous [əb-'sē-kwē-əs, äb-] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness

ob·se·quy ['äb-sə-kwē] -n

  1. a funeral or burial rite usu. used in pl.

ob·serv·able [əb-'zər-və-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. noteworthy
  2. capable of being observed : discernible

ob·ser·vance [əb-'zər-vən(t)s] -n

  1. a customary practice, rite, or ceremony
    • Sabbath observance s
  2. a rule governing members of a religious order
  3. an act or instance of following a custom, rule, or law
    • observance of the speed limits
  4. an act or instance of watching

ob·ser·vant [-vənt] -adj, adv

  1. paying strict attention : watchful
    • an observant spectator
  2. keen, perceptive
  3. careful in observing (as rites, laws, or customs) : mindful
    • pious and religiously observant families -- Sidney Hook
    • always observant of the amenities

observant -n

  1. an assiduous or obsequious servant or attendant

ob·ser·va·tion [,äb-sər-'vā-shən, -zər-] -n, adj, adv

  1. an act or instance of observing a custom, rule, or law
  2. observance
  3. an act of recognizing and noting a fact or occurrence often involving measurement with instruments
    • weather observation s
  4. a record or description so obtained
  5. a judgment on or inference from what one has observed
  6. remark, statement
  7. attentive care : heed
  8. the condition of one that is observed
    • under observation at the hospital

observation -adj

  1. designed for use in viewing something (as scenery) or in making observations
    • an observation tower
    • the observation platform

ob·ser·va·to·ry [əb-'zər-və-,tȯr-ē] -n

  1. a building or place given over to or equipped for observation of natural phenomena (as in astronomy)
  2. an institution whose primary purpose is making such observations
  3. a situation or structure commanding a wide view

ob·serve [əb-'zərv] -vb, adv

  1. to conform one's action or practice to (as a law, rite, or condition) : comply with
  2. to inspect or take note of as an augury, omen, or presage
  3. to celebrate or solemnize (as a ceremony or festival) in a customary or accepted way
  4. to watch carefully esp. with attention to details or behavior for the purpose of arriving at a judgment
  5. to make a scientific observation on or of
  6. to come to realize or know esp. through consideration of noted facts
  7. to utter as a remark
  8. to take notice
  9. to make observations : watch
  10. remark, comment

ob·serv·er [əb-'zər-vər] -n

  1. : one that observes: as
  2. a representative sent to observe but not participate officially in an activity (as a meeting or war)
  3. an expert analyst and commentator in a particular field
    • political observer s

ob·sess [əb-'ses, äb-] -vb

  1. to haunt or excessively preoccupy the mind of
    • was obsess ed with the idea
  2. to engage in obsessive thinking : become obsessed with an idea

ob·ses·sion [äb-'se-shən, əb-] -n, adj, adv

  1. a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling
  2. compelling motivation
    • an obsession with profits
  3. something that causes an obsession

ob·ses·sive [äb-'se-siv, əb-] -adj, n, adv

  1. tending to cause obsession
  2. excessive often to an unreasonable degree
  3. of, relating to, or characterized by obsession : deriving from obsession

obsessivecompulsive -adj, n

  1. relating to, characterized by, or affected with recurring obsessions and compulsions esp. as symptoms of a neurotic state
    • obsessivecompulsive disorder

ob·sid·i·an [əb-'si-dē-ən] -n

  1. a dark natural glass formed by the cooling of molten lava

ob·so·lesce [,äb-sə-'les] -vb

  1. to be or become obsolescent
  2. to make obsolescent

ob·so·les·cence [-'le-sᵊn(t)s] -n

  1. the process of becoming obsolete or the condition of being nearly obsolete
    • the gradual obsolescence of machinery
    • reduced to obsolescence

ob·so·les·cent [-sᵊnt] -adj, adv

  1. going out of use : becoming obsolete

ob·so·lete [,äb-sə-'lēt, 'äb-sə-,] -adj, adv, n

  1. no longer in use or no longer useful
    • an obsolete word
  2. of a kind or style no longer current : old-fashioned
    • an obsolete technology
  3. indistinct or imperfect as compared with a corresponding part in related organisms : vestigial

obsolete -vt

  1. to make obsolete

ob·sta·cle ['äb-sti-kəl, -,sti-] -n

  1. something that impedes progress or achievement

obstacle course -n

  1. a military training course filled with obstacles (as hurdles, fences, walls, and ditches) that must be negotiated
  2. a series of obstacles that must be overcome

ob·stet·ric [əb-'ste-trik, äb-] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or associated with childbirth or obstetrics

ob·ste·tri·cian [,äb-stə-'tri-shən] -n

  1. a physician specializing in obstetrics

ob·stet·rics [əb-'ste-triks, äb-] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a branch of medical science that deals with birth and with its antecedents and sequels

ob·sti·na·cy ['äb-stə-nə-sē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being obstinate : stubbornness
  2. the quality or state of being difficult to remedy, relieve, or subdue
    • the obstinacy of tuberculosis
  3. an instance of being obstinate

ob·sti·nate ['äb-stə-nət] -adj, adv, n

  1. perversely adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
    • obstinate resistance to change
  2. not easily subdued, remedied, or removed
    • obstinate fever

ob·strep·er·ous [əb-'stre-p(ə-)rəs, äb-] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : clamorous
    • obstreperous merriment
  2. stubbornly resistant to control : unruly

ob·struct [əb-'strəkt, äb-] -vt, adj or n, n

  1. to block or close up by an obstacle
  2. to hinder from passage, action, or operation : impede
  3. to cut off from sight
    • a wall obstruct s the view

ob·struc·tion [əb-'strək-shən, äb-] -n

  1. the state of being obstructed
  2. a condition of being clogged or blocked
  3. an act of obstructing
  4. something that obstructs

ob·struc·tion·ism [-shə-,ni-zəm] -n, n or adj, adj

  1. deliberate interference with the progress or business esp. of a legislative body

ob·tain [əb-'tān, äb-] -vb, n, adj

  1. to gain or attain usu. by planned action or effort
  2. succeed
  3. to be generally recognized or established : prevail

ob·tect [əb-'tekt, äb-] -adj

  1. enclosed in a firm case or covering with the appendages held tightly against the body

ob·trude [əb-'trüd, äb-] -vb, n

  1. to thrust out : extrude
  2. to force or impose (as oneself or one's ideas) without warrant or request
  3. to become unduly prominent or interfering : intrude

ob·tru·sion [-'trü-zhən] -n

  1. an act of obtruding
  2. something that is obtruded

ob·tru·sive [-'trü-siv, -ziv] -adj, adv, n

  1. forward in manner or conduct
    • obtrusive behavior
  2. undesirably prominent
  3. thrust out : protruding
    • a sharp obtrusive edge

ob·tund [äb-'tənd] -vt

  1. to reduce the edge or violence of : dull
    • obtund ed reflexes

ob·tu·ra·tion [,äb-tyə-'rā-shən, -tə-] -n, vt

  1. obstruction, closure

ob·tu·ra·tor ['äb-tyə-,rā-tər, -tə-] -n

  1. : one (as a prosthetic device) that closes or blocks up an opening (as a fissure in the palate)

ob·tuse [äb-'tüs, əb-, -'tyüs] -adj, adv, n

  1. not pointed or acute : blunt
  2. exceeding 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees
  3. having an obtuse angle
    • an obtuse triangle
  4. rounded at the free end
  5. lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect : insensitive, stupid
  6. difficult to comprehend : not clear or precise in thought or expression

obv -abbr

  1. obverse

ob·verse [äb-'vərs, əb-, 'äb-,] -adj, adv

  1. facing the observer or opponent
  2. having the base narrower than the top
    • an obverse leaf
  3. constituting the obverse of something : opposite
  4. the side of a coin or currency note bearing the chief device and lettering
  5. a front or principal surface
  6. a counterpart having the opposite orientation or force
    • their rise was merely the obverse of the Empire's fall -- A. J. Toynbee
  7. opposite
    • joy and its obverse, sorrow
  8. a proposition inferred immediately from another by denying the opposite of what the given proposition affirms
    • the obverse of all A is B is no A is not B

ob·vi·ate ['äb-vē-,āt] -vt, n

  1. to anticipate and prevent (as a situation) or make unnecessary (as an action)

ob·vi·ous ['äb-vē-əs] -adj, n

  1. being in the way or in front
  2. easily discovered, seen, or understood

ob·vi·ous·ly [-lē] -adv

  1. in an obvious manner
    • showed his anger obviously
  2. as is plainly evident
    • obviously, something is wrong