observatory

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ob=serv=a=to=ry

CIDE DICTIONARY

observatory, n. [Cf. F. observatoire.].

•  A place or building for making observations on the heavenly bodies.  [1913 Webster]

  "The new observatory in Greenwich Park."  [1913 Webster]
•  A building fitted with instruments for making systematic observations of any particular class or series of natural phenomena.  [1913 Webster]
•  A place, as an elevated chamber, from which a view may be observed or commanded.  [1913 Webster]
•  A lookout on a flank of a battery whence an officer can note the range and effect of the fire; usually referred to as an observation post.  Farrow.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

observatory, n. (pl. -ies) a room or building equipped for the observation of natural, esp. astronomical or meteorological, phenomena.

Etymology

mod.L observatorium f. L observare (as OBSERVE)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

observatory

n. A place where astronomers conjecture away the guesses of their predecessors.

THESAURUS

observatory

Cassegrainian telescope, Newtonian telescope, OAO, OSO, Texas tower, astronomical observatory, astronomical telescope, beacon, belvedere, bleachers, bridge, coelostat, conning tower, coronagraph, coronograph, gallery, gazebo, grandstand, heliostat, lighthouse, lookout, loophole, observation post, orrery, outlook, overlook, peanut gallery, peephole, pharos, planetarium, radar telescope, radio observatory, radio telescope, reflector, refractor, ringside, ringside seat, sighthole, spectrograph, spectroheliograph, spectrohelioscope, spectroscope, telescope, top gallery, tower, watchtower

ROGET THESAURUS

observatory

World

N world, creation, nature, universe, earth, globe, wide world, cosmos, kosmos, terraqueous globe, sphere, macrocosm, megacosm, music of the spheres, heavens, sky, welkin, empyrean, starry cope, starry heaven, starry host, firmament, Midgard, supersensible regions, varuna, vault of heaven, canopy of heaven, celestial spaces, heavenly bodies, stars, asteroids, nebulae, galaxy, milky way, galactic circle, via lactea, ame no kawa, sun, orb of day, Apollo, Phoebus, photosphere, chromosphere, solar system, planet, planetoid, comet, satellite, moon, orb of night, Diana, silver-footed queen, aerolite, meteor, planetary ring, falling star, shooting star, meteorite, uranolite, constellation, zodiac, signs of the zodiac, Charles's wain, Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Great Bear, Southern Cross, Orion's belt, Cassiopea's chair, Pleiades, colures, equator, ecliptic, orbit, astronomy, uranography, uranology, cosmology, cosmography, cosmogony, eidouranion, orrery, geodesy, star gazing, star gazer, astronomer, observatory, planetarium, cosmic, cosmical, mundane, terrestrial, terrestrious, terraqueous, terrene, terreous, telluric, earthly, geotic, under the sun, sublunary, subastral, solar, heliacal, lunar, celestial, heavenly, sphery, starry, stellar, sidereal, sideral, astral, nebular, uranic, in all creation, on the face of the globe, here below, under the sun, die Weltgeschichte ist das Weltergesicht, earth is but the frozen echo of the silent voice o, green calm below, blue quietness above, hanging in a golden chain this pendant World, nothing in nature is unbeautiful, silently as a dream the fabric rose, some touch of nature's genial glow, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, through knowledge we behold the World's creation.