Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Ob-lăn'çe-o-late, a. p. 901(Bot.) Lanceolate in the reversed order, that is, narrowing toward the attachment. Gray.Ob-lāte′, a. p. 901(Geom.) Flattened or depressed at the poles; as, an oblate spheroid. Oblate ellipsoid, or spheroid (Geom.), a solid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about its shorter axis.Ob-lāte', a. p. 901Offered up; devoted; consecrated; dedicated; — chiefly or only used in the titles of Roman Catholic orders.Ob-lāte'ness, n. p. 901The quality or state of being oblate.Ob-lā'tion, n. p. 901Any thing offered or presented in worship or sacred service; an offering; a sacrifice. “A peculiar . . . oblation given to God.” Bp. Taylor. 2. A gift or contribution for the expenses of the…Ob-lā'tion-er, n. p. 901One who makes an offering as an act of worship or reverence. [Obs.]Ob-lā'trāte, v. i. p. 901To bark or snarl. [Obs.]Ŏb'la-trā'tion, n. p. 901A barking or snarling. [Obs.] “Currish oblatrations.” Bp. Hall.Ŏb'lats, n. pl. p. 901(Rom. Cath. Church.) A congregation of missionaries founded at Aix, in Provence, in 1815, and approved in 1826, under the title of Oblate Missionaries of Mary the Immaculate. They went to Canada in…Ob-lĕc'tāte, v. t. p. 901To delight; to please highly. [Obs.]Ŏb'lec-tā'tion, n. p. 901The act of pleasing highly; delight. [Rare.] W. Scott.Ŏb'li-gāte, v. t. p. 901To bring under obligation; to hold by a constraining motive. The millions of mankind, as one vast fraternity, should feel obligated, by a sense of duty and the impulse of affection, to realize the…Ŏb'li-gā'tion, n. p. 901The act of obligating or binding. 2. That which obligates; the binding power of a vow, promise, oath, or contract, or of law, civil, political, or moral, independent of a promise; that which…Obbli-gā'to, a. p. 901(Mus.) Required; necessary; indispensable; — applied to voices or instruments indispensable to the just performance of a musical composition. [Commonly written obbligato.]ŏb'li-ga-tō'ri-ly, adv. p. 901Under obligation or by constraint.ŏb'li-ga-tō'ri-ness, n. p. 901The quality of binding or coercing; as, the obligatoriness of a duty.Ŏb'li-ga-to-ry, a. p. 901Binding in law or conscience; imposing duty; requiring performance or forbearance of some act; — often followed by on, the use of to being obsolete. As long as law is obligatory, so long our…O-blĭge', v. t. p. 901To constrain by physical, moral, or legal force; to bind by any restraint. The obliging power of the law is neither founded in, nor to be measured by, the rewards and punishments annexed to it.…ŏb-li-geē', n. p. 901The person to whom another is bound, or the person to whom a bond is given. Blackstone.O-blīġe'ment, n. p. 901Obligation. [Rare.] I will not resist, therefore, whatever it is, either of divine or human obligement, that you lay upon me. Milton.O-blī'ġer, n. p. 901One who obliges.O-blī'ġing, a. p. 901Having the disposition to oblige or do favors, or actually conferring them; hence, civil; complaisant; kind. Mons. Strozzi has many curiosities, and is very obliging to a stranger that desires the…O-blī'ġing-ly, adv. p. 901With civility; kindly; complaisantly.O-blĭg'ing-ness, n. p. 901Binding obligatoriness. [Rare.] “The obligingness of these institutions.” Hammond. 2. Disposition to civility; kindness; complaisance; as, obligingness of character. Walton.Ŏb'li-gôr', n. p. 901The person who binds himself, or gives his bond to another. Blackstone.Ŏb-lig'ū-late, a. p. 901(Bot.) Extended on the inner instead of the outer side of the capitulum, or head; — said of the corollas of some ligulate florets. Henslow.Ŏb-li-quā'tion, n. p. 901The act of becoming oblique, or of turning from a straight line or course; a turning to one side; as, the obliquation of the eyes. 2. Deviation from moral rectitude.Ob-lique', a. p. 901Not erect or perpendicular; not extending at right angles from the base; slanting; inclined. It has a direction oblique to that of the former motion. Cheyne. 2. Not straight forward; indirect…Ob-lique', v. i. p. 901To deviate from a perpendicular line; to move in an oblique direction. “Projecting his person toward it in a line which obliqued from the bottom of his spine.” W. Scott. 2. (Mil.) To move obliquely…Ob-lique'-ān'gled, a. p. 901Having oblique angles; as, an oblique-angled triangle.Ob-lique'ly, adv. p. 901In an oblique manner; not directly; indirectly. Declining from the noon of day, The sun obliquely shoots his burning ray. Pope. His discourse tends obliquely to the detracting from others. Addison.Ob-lique'ness, n. p. 901Obliquity.Ob-lĭq'ui-ty, n. p. 901The condition of being oblique; deviation from a right line; deviation from parallelism or perpendicularity; as, the obliquity of the ecliptic to the equator. 2. Deviation from moral rectitude. To…Ob-lĭt'er-āte, v. t. p. 901To erase or blot out; to efface; as, a writing may be obliterated by erasure, by blotting, or by the slow operation of time or natural causes. 2. To wear out; to destroy by time or other means; as…Ob-lĭt'er-ā'tion, n. p. 901The act of effacing; a blotting out or wearing out; extinction.Ob·lit'er-a-tive, a. p. 901Tending or serving to obliterate; erasing.Ob-liv'i-on, n. p. 901The act of forgetting, or the state of being forgotten; cessation of remembrance; forgetfulness. Among our crimes oblivion may be set. Dryden. The origin of our city will be buried in eternal…Ob-liv'i-al, a. p. 901The same as OBLIVIOUS. [Obs.]Ob-liv'i-ous, a. p. 901Promoting oblivion; causing forgetfulness. “The oblivious pool.” Milton. Behold the wonders of the oblivious lake. Pope. 2. Evincing oblivion; forgetful. “Through age both weak in body and…Ob-liv'i-oŭs-ly, adv. p. 901In an oblivious manner; forgetfully.Ob-liv'i-ōus-ness, n. p. 901The state of being oblivious or forgetful.Ob-lŏc'ū-tor, n. p. 901A gainsayer. (Obs.)Ŏb'lōng, a. p. 901Having greater length than breadth.Ob'long, n. p. 901A rectangular figure which is longer than it is broad; hence, any figure longer than it is broad. The best figure of a garden I esteem an oblong upon a descent. Sir W. Temple.Ŏb'long-ish, a. p. 902Somewhat oblong.Ŏb'long-ly, adv. p. 902In an oblong form.Ŏb'long-ness, n. p. 902The state of having greater length than breadth.Ob'long-ō'vate, a. p. 902(Bot.) Between oblong and obovate, but inclined to the latter.Ob-lō'qui-oŭs, a. p. 902Containing obloquy; reproachful. [Obs.] Naunton.Ōb'lo-quy, n. p. 902Censorious speech; reproachful language; language that casts contempt on men or their actions. Shall names that made your city the glory of the earth be mentioned with obloquy and detraction?…Ŏb'luĕ-tā'tion, n. p. 902A struggle or striving against; resistance. [Obs.] Fotherby.Ŏb'mu-tēs'çençe, n. p. 902Loss of speech; silence. Browne. 2. A keeping silence. Paley.Ob-nŏx'ious, a. p. 902Liable to censure; exposed to punishment; reprehensible; blameworthy. “Obnoxious authors.” Fell. All are obnoxious, and this faulty land, Like fainting Hester, does before you stand Watching your…Ob-nŏx'ious-ly, adv. p. 902In an obnoxious manner.Ob-nŏx'ious-ness, n. p. 902The condition of being obnoxious; liability; odiousness; offensiveness.Ob-nū'bi-lāte, v. t. p. 902To cloud; to obscure. [Obs.] Burton.Ob-nū'bi-lā'tion, n. p. 902The act or operation of making dark or obscure. [Obs.] Beddoes.Ō’bo-e, n. p. 902A portable wind instrument of music sounded by means of a reed, and in form somewhat like a clarionet; a hautboy. Moore.Ŏb'ōle, n. p. 902The weight of twelve grains; or, according to some, of ten grains. [Written also obol.]Ŏb'o-līze, v. t. p. 902The same as OBELIZE, q. v.