[syn: observe, keep]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Observe \Ob*serve"\ ([o^]b*z[~e]rv"), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Observed ([o^]b*z[~e]rvd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Observing.]
[L. observare, observatum; ob (see Ob-) + servare to save,
preserve, keep, heed, observe: cf. F. observer. See Serve.]
1. To take notice of by appropriate conduct; to conform one's
action or practice to; to keep; to heed; to obey; to
comply with; as, to observe rules or commands; to observe
civility.
[1913 Webster]
Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread.
--Ex. xii. 17.
[1913 Webster]
He wolde no such cursedness observe. --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
Must I budge? Must I observe you? --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
With solemn purpose to observe
Immutably his sovereign will. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. To be on the watch respecting; to pay attention to; to
notice with care; to see; to perceive; to notice; to
discover; as, to observe an eclipse; to observe the color
or fashion of a dress; to observe the movements of an
army; to observe an accident.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
3. To express as what has been noticed; to utter as a remark;
to say in a casual or incidental way; to remark.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Observe \Ob*serve"\, v. i.
1. To take notice; to give attention to what one sees or
hears; to attend.
[1913 Webster]
2. To make a remark; to comment; to make an observation[3];
-- generally with on or upon.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
I have barely quoted . . . without observing upon
it. --Pope.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: To remark. See Remark.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
observe
v 1: discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of;
"She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water";
"We found traces of lead in the paint" [syn: detect,
observe, find, discover, notice]
2: make mention of; "She observed that his presentation took up
too much time"; "They noted that it was a fine day to go
sailing" [syn: note, observe, mention, remark]
3: observe with care or pay close attention to; "Take note of
this chemical reaction" [syn: note, take note, observe]
4: watch attentively; "Please observe the reaction of these two
chemicals"
5: show respect towards; "honor your parents!" [syn: respect,
honor, honour, abide by, observe] [ant: disrespect]
6: behave as expected during of holidays or rites; "Keep the
commandments"; "celebrate Christmas"; "Observe Yom Kippur"
[syn: observe, celebrate, keep]
7: follow with the eyes or the mind; "Keep an eye on the baby,
please!"; "The world is watching Sarajevo"; "She followed the
men with the binoculars" [syn: watch, observe, follow,
watch over, keep an eye on]
8: stick to correctly or closely; "The pianist kept time with
the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my
employees" [syn: observe, keep, maintain]
9: conform one's action or practice to; "keep appointments";
"she never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original
conditions of the contract" [syn: observe, keep] [ant:
breach, break, go against, infract, offend,
transgress, violate]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
236 Moby Thesaurus words for "observe":
abide by, accommodate, accommodate with, accord, act up to, adapt,
adapt to, adhere to, adjust, adjust to, administer,
administer Communion, agree with, allude to, animadvert,
assimilate to, attend, attend Communion, attend Mass, attend to,
attend to orders, autopsy, be faithful to, be guided by,
be vigilant, be watchful, beat the drum, behold, beholder, bend,
blow the trumpet, blurt, blurt out, bystander, call attention to,
canvass, carry out, carry through, case, catch sight of, celebrate,
celebrate Mass, check, check out, check over, check up on,
chime in with, clap eyes on, commemorate, comment, comment upon,
commentate, communicate, complete, comply, comply with, compose,
conform, conform to, consider, contemplate, conventionalize,
correct, correspond, declare, defer to, descry, dignify, discern,
discharge, discipline, discover, distinguish, do justice to,
dress ship, effect, effectuate, enforce, espy, examine, exclaim,
execute, eye, eyeball, eyewitness, fall in with, fill, fill out,
fire a salute, fit, follow, follow the book, formalize, fulfill,
gaze at, gear to, give an examination, glimpse, go by, go over,
hallow, harken to, harmonize, have a looksee, have in sight, heed,
hold by, hold in view, hold jubilee, honor, implement, inspect,
interject, jubilate, jubilize, keep, keep faith with,
keep in sight, keep in view, keep under observation, ken,
lay eyes on, let drop, let fall, listen to, live up to, look,
look after, look at, look on, look over, look upon, looker-on,
maffick, make, make conform, make good, make merry, make out,
make reference to, mark, meet, memorialize, mention, mind, mold,
monitor, muse, note, notice, obey, obey the rules, observer,
onlooker, opine, overhaul, overlook, pass over, pass under review,
pay attention to, peer at, perceive, peruse, pick out, pore over,
postmortem, promulgate, prosecute, put in force, put through,
receive the Sacrament, recognize, reconcile, reconnoiter, rectify,
refer to, reflect, regard, remark, remark upon, remember, render,
respect, revere, reverence, review, ritualize, rub off corners,
run over, satisfy, say, scan, scout, scrutinize, see,
set an examination, settle, shape, sight, signalize, size, size up,
solemnize, solemnly mark, sound a fanfare, speak, spot, spy,
spy upon, state, stay in line, straighten, study, stylize, submit,
suit, survey, take in, take note, take notice, take orders,
take stock of, take the measure, tally with, tend, toe the line,
transact, twig, up on, venerate, view, viewer, watch, watcher,
witness, yield