Emily Dickinson Lexicon

OB-SCENE, a. [Fr. from L. {foreign}.]

1. Offensive to chastity and delicacy; impure; expressing or presenting to the mind or view something which delicacy, purity and decency forbid to be exposed; as, obscene language; obscene pictures.
2. Foul; filthy; offensive; disgusting. A girdle foul with grease binds his obscene attire. Dryden.
3. Inauspicious; ill omened. At the cheerful light, The groaning ghosts and birds obscene take flight. Dryden.

OB-SCENE-LY, adv.

In a manner offensive to chastity or purity; impurely; unchastely.

OB-SCU-RA'TION, n. [L. obscuratio.]

1. The act of darkening.
2. The state of being darkened or obscured; as, the obscuration of the moon in an eclipse.

OB-SCURE, a. [L. obscurus; It. oscuro]

1. Dark; destitute of light. Whoso curseth his father or mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. Prov. xx.
2. Living in darkness; as, the obscure bird. Shak.
3. Not easily understood; not obviously intelligible; abstruse; as, an obscure passage in a writing. Dryden.
4. Not much known or observed; retired; remote from observation; as, an obscure retreat.
5. Not noted; unknown; unnoticed; humble; mean; as; an obscure person; a person of obscure birth. Atterbury.
6. Not easily legible; as, an obscure inscription.
7. Not clear, full or distinct; imperfect; as, an obscure view of remote objects.

OB-SCURE, v.t. [L. obscuro.]

1. To darken; to make dark. The shadow of the earth obscures the moon, and the body of the moon obscures the sun, in an eclipse.
2. To cloud; to make partially dark. Thick clouds obscure the day.
3. To hide from the view; as, clouds obscure the sun.
4. To make less visible. Why, 'tis an office of discovery, love, And I should be obscured. Shak.
5. To make less legible; as, time has obscured the writing.
6. To make less intelligible. There is scarce any duty which has been so obscured by the writings of the learned as this. Wake.
7. To make less glorious, beautiful or illustrious. And see'st not sin obscures thy godlike frame? Dryden.
8. To conceal; to make unknown. Milton.
9. To tarnish; as, to obscure brightness.

OB-SCUR-ED, pp.

Clouded, or made partially dark; concealed.

OB-SCURE-LY, adv.

1. Darkly; not clearly; imperfectly; as, an object obscurely seen; obscurely visible.
2. Out of sight; in a state not to be noticed; privately; in retirement; not conspicuously. There live retired, Content thyself to be obscurely good. Addison.
3. Not clearly; not plainly to the mind; darkly; as, future events obscurely revealed.
4. Not plainly; indirectly; by hints or allusion.

OB-SCUR-ER, n.

He or that which obscures or darkens. Lord.

OB-SCUR-ING, ppr.

Darkening; making less visible or intelligible; tarnishing.

OB'SE-CRATE, v.t. [L. obsecro.]

To beseech; to entreat; to supplicate; to pray earnestly. Cockeram.

OB'SE-CRA-TED, pp.

Entreated;. prayed earnestly.

OB'SE-CRA-TING, ppr.

Supplicating; beseeching.

OB-SE-CRA'TION, n.

1. Entreaty; supplication. Stillingfleet.
2. A figure of rhetoric, in which the orator implores the assistance of God or man. Encyc.

OB'SE-QUENT, a. [L. obsequens.]

Obedient; submissive to. [Little used.] Fotherby.

OB'SE-QUIES, n. plur. [Fr. obseques, from L. obsequium,complaisance, from obsequor, to follow.]

Funeral rites and solemnities; the last duties performed to a deceased person. Dryden. [Milton uses the word in the singular, but the common usage is different.]

OB-SE'QUI-OILS-LY, adv.

1. With ready obedience; with prompt compliance. They rise and with respectful awe, At the word given, obsequiously withdraw. Dryden.
2. With reverence for the dead. [Not used.] Shak.

OB-SE'QUI-OUS, a. [from L. obsequium, complaisance, from obsequor, to follow; ob and sequor.]

1. Promptly obedient or submissive to the will of another; compliant; yielding to the desires of others, properly to the will or command of a superior, but in actual use, it often signifies yielding to the will or desires of such as have no right to control. His servants weeping, Obsequious to his orders, bear him hither. Addison.
2. Servilely or meanly condescending; compliant to excess; as, an obsequious flatterer, minion or parasite.
3. Funereal; pertaining to funeral rites. [Not used.] Shak.

OB'SE-QUY, n.

1. Funeral rites.
2. Obsequiousness. [Not in use.] B. Jonson.

OB'SE-RATE, v.t. [Lat. obsero.]

To lock up. [Not used.]

OB'SE-RA-TED, pp.

Locked up.

OB'SE-RA-TING, ppr.

Locking up.

OB-SERV'A-BLE, a.

1. s as z. [See Observe.]
2. That may be observed or noticed.
3. Worthy of observation or of particular notice; remarkable. I took a just account of every observable circumstance of the earth, stone, metal or other matter. Woodward.

OB-SERV'A-BLY, adv.

s as z. In a manner worthy of note. Brown.

OB-SERV'ANCE, n.

1. s as z. [Fr. See Observe.] The act of observing; the act of keeping or adhering to in practice; performance; as, the observance of rules, rites, ceremonies or laws. Love rigid honesty, And strict observance of impartial laws. Roscommon.
2. Respect; ceremonial reverence in practice. To do observance on the morn of May. Shak.
3. Performance of rites, religious ceremonies or external service. Some represent to themselves the whole of religion as consisting in a few easy observances. Rogers.
4. Rule of practice; things to be observed. Shak.
5. Observation; attention to. [Little used.] Hale.
6. Obedient regard or attention. Having had experience of his fidelity and observance abroad. [Not used.] Wotton.

OB-SERV-AND'A, n. plur.

s as z. [L.] Things to be observed. Swift.