Emily Dickinson Lexicon

OB-SIG'NA-TO-RY, a.

Ratifying; confirming by sealing. Ward.

OB-SO-LES'CENCE, n.

The state of becoming obsolete. Crombie.

OB-SO-LES'CENT, a. [L. obsolesco, to go out of use.]

Going out of use; passing into desuetude. All the words compounded of here and a preposition, except hereafter, are obsolete or obsolescent. Campbell.

OB'SO-LETE, a. [L. obsoletus.]

1. Gone into disuse; disused; neglected; as, an obsolete word; an obsolete statute; applied chiefly to words or writings. Dryden. Swift.
2. In botany, obscure; not very distinct. Eaton.

OB'SO-LETE-NESS, n.

1. The state of being neglected in to use; a state of desuetude. Johnson.
2. In botany, indistinctness.

OB'STA-CLE, n. [Fr. from L. obsto; to withstand ob and sto.]

That which opposes; any thing that stands in the way and hinders progress; hinderance; obstruction, either in a physical or moral sense. An army may meet with obstacles on its march; bad roads are obstacles to traveling; prejudice is an obstacle to improvement; want of union is often an insuperable obstacle to beneficial measures.

OB'STAN-CY, n. [L. obstantia; ob and sto.]

Opposition; impediment; obstruction. [Not used.] B. Jonson.

OBSTA-PRINCIPIIS, v. [Obsta principiis; L.]

Resist the beginnings.

OB-STET'RIC, a. [L. obstetrix, a midwife; ob and sto, to stand before.]

Pertaining to midwifery, or the delivery of women in childbed; as, the obstetric art.

OB-STET'RI-CATE, v.i. [See Obstetric.]

To perform the office of a midwife. [Little used.] Evelyn.

OB-STET'RI-CATE, v.t.

To assist as a midwife. [Little used.] Waterhouse.

OB-STET-RI-CA'TION, n.

1. The act of assisting as a midwife.
2. The office of a midwife.

OB-STE-TRI'CIAN, n.

One skilled in the art of assisting women in parturition. Med. Repos.

OB-STET'RICS, n.

The art of assisting women in parturition; midwifery. Encyc.

OB'STI-N-A-CY, n. [L. obstinatio, from obsto, to stand against, to oppose; ob and sto.]

1. A fixedness in opinion or resolution that can not be shaken at all, or not without great difficulty; firm and usually unreasonable adherence to an opinion, purpose or system; a fixedness that will not yield to persuasion, arguments or other means. Obstinacy may not always convey the idea of unreasonable or unjustifiable firmness; as, when we say, soldiers fight with obstinacy. But often, and perhaps usually, the word denotes a fixedness of resolution which is not to be vindicated under the circumstances; stubbornness; pertinacity; persistency.
2. Fixedness that will not yield to application, or that yields with difficulty; as, the obstinacy of a disease or evil.

OB'STI-NATE, a. [L. obstinatus.]

1. Stubborn; pertinaciously adhering to an opinion or purpose; fixed firmly in resolution; not yielding to reason, arguments or other means. I have known great cures done by obstinate resolutions of drinking no wine. Temple. No ass so meek, no ass so obstinate. Pope.
2. Not yielding or not easily subdued or removed; as, an obstinate fever; obstinate obstructions; an obstinate cough.

OB'STI-NATE-LY, adv.

Stubbornly; pertinaciously; with fixedness of purpose not to be shaken, or not without difficulty; as, a sinner obstinately bent on his own destruction. Inflexible to ill and obstinately just. Addison.

OB'STI-NATE-NESS, n.

Stubbornness; pertinacity in opinion or purpose; fixed determination. Hall.

OB-STI-PA'TION, n. [L. obstipo; ob and stipo, to crowd.]

1. The act of stopping up; as a passage.
2. In medicine, costiveness.

OB-STREP'ER-OUS, a. [L. obstreperus, from obstrepo, to roar; ob and strepo.]

Loud; noisy; clamorous; vociferous; making a tumultuous noise. The players do not only connive at his obstreperous approbation, but repair at their own cost whatever damages he makes. Addison.

OB-STREP'ER-OUS-LY, adv.

Loudly; clamorously; with tumultuous noise.

OB-STREP'ER-OUS-NESS, n.

Loudness; clamor; noisy turbulence.

OB-STRIC'TION, n. [L. obstrictus, obstringo; ob and stringo, to strain.]

Obligation; bond. Milton.

OB-STRUCT', v.t. [L. obstruo; ob and struo, to set.]

1. To block up; to stop up or close, as a way or passage; to fill with obstacles or impediments that prevent passing; as, to obstruct a road, highway or channel; to obstruct the canals or fine vessels of the body.
2. To stop; to impede; to hinder in passing; as, the bar at the mouth of the river obstructs the entrance of ships; clouds obstruct the light of the sun.
3. To retard; to interrupt; to render slow. Progress is often obstructed by difficulties, though not entirely stopped.

OB-STRUCT'ED, pp.

1. Blocked up; stopped; as a passage.
2. Hindered; impeded; as progress.
3. Retarded; interrupted.