Emily Dickinson Lexicon

O-BE-DI-EN'TIAL, a. [Fr. obedienciel.]

According to the rule of obedience; in compliance with commands; as, obediential submission. Hammond.

O-BE'DI-ENT-LY, adv.

With obedience; with due submission to commands; with submission or compliance with orders. Tillotson.

O-BEI-SANCE, n. [Fr. obeissance, from obeir, to obey, L. obedio.]

A bow or courtesy; an act of reverence made by an inclination of the body or the knee. Gen. xxxvii.

OB-E-LIS'CAL, a.

In the form of an obelisk. Stukeley.

OB'E-LISK, n. [L. obeliscus; Gr. οβελισκος, dim. of οβελος, a spit.]

1. A truncated, quadrangular and slender pyramid intended as an ornament, and often charged with inscriptions or hieroglyphics. Some ancient obelisks appear to have been erected in honor of distinguished persons or their achievements. Ptolemy Philadelphus raised one of 83 cubits high in honor of Arsinoe. Augustus erected one in the Campus Martius at Rome, which served to mark the hours on a horizontal dial drawn on the pavement. Encyc.
2. In writing and printing, a reference or mark referring the reader to a note in the margin, thus, †. It is used also for a mark of censure; or for designating obsolete words, or for other purposes at the pleasure of the writer.

O-BEQ'UI-TATE, v.i. [L. obequito; ob and equito, to ride; equus, a horse.]

To ride about. [Not used.] Cockeram.

OB-EQ-UI-TA'TION, n.

The act of riding about. [Not used.] Cockeram.

OB-ER-RA'TION, n. [L. oberro; ob and erro, to wander.]

The act of wandering about. [Little used.] Johnson.

O-BESE, a. [L. obesus.]

Fat; fleshy. [Little used.] Gayton.

O-BESE'NESS, or O-BES'I-TY, n. [L. obesitas.]

Fatness; fleshiness; incumbrance of flesh. Grew.

O-BEY', v.t. [Fr. obeir, contracted from L. obedio, It. ubbidire; supposed to be contracted from ob and audio, to hear. See Gr. εξακουω.]

1. To comply with the commands, orders or instructions of a superior, or with the requirements of law, moral, political or municipal; to do that which is commanded or required, or to forbear doing that which is prohibited. He who has learned to obey, will know how to command. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. Eph. vi. Servants, obey in all things your masters. Col. iii.
2. To submit to the government of; to be ruled by. All Israel obeyed Solomon. 1 Chron. xxix. Dan. vii.
3. To submit to the direction or control of. Seamen say, the ship will not obey the helm. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Rom. vi. James iii.
4. To yield to the impulse, power or operation of; as, to obey stimulus. Darwin. Relentless dime, destroying power, / When stone and brass obey.

O-BEY'ED, pp.

Complied with; performed; as command; yielded to.

O-BEY'ER, n.

One who yields obedience.

O-BEY'ING, ppr.

Complying with commands; submitting to.

O-BEY'ING-LY, adv.

Complyingly; submissively.

OB-FIRM', or OB'FIRM-ATE, v.t. [obferm', obfermate.]

To make firm; to harden in resolution. [Not used.] Hall. Sheldon.

OB-FUS'CATE, v.t. [L. ob and fusco, to obscure.]

To darken; to obscure. Waterhouse.

OB-FUS'CA-TED, pp.

Darkened in color. Shenstone.

OB-FUS'CA-TING, ppr.

Darkening; obscuring.

OB-FUS'CA-TION, n.

The act of darkening or rendering obscure; a clouding. Obfuscations of the cornea. Darwin.

OB'IT, n. [L. obiit, obivit; ob and eo, to go.]

Properly, death; decease; hence, funeral solemnities or anniversary service for the soul of the deceased on the day of his death. Encyc. Mountagu.

O-BIT'U-AL, a. [L. obeo, to die; obitus, death.]

Pertaining to obits, or the days when funeral solemnities are celebrated; as, obitual days. Encyc.

O-BIT'U-A-RI-LY, adv.

In the manner of an obituary.

O-BIT'U-A-RY, a.

Relating to the decease of a person or persons; as, an obituary notice.

O-BIT'U-A-RY, n. [Fr. obituaire.]

1. A list of the dead, or a register of obitual anniversary days, when service is performed for the dead. Encyc.
2. An account of persons deceased; notice of the death of a person, often accompanied with a brief biographical sketch of his character.