Observe

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: ob=serve

CIDE DICTIONARY

Observe, v. t. [L. observare, observatum; ob (see Ob-) + servare to save, preserve, keep, heed, observe: cf. F. observer. See Serve.].

•  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."  [1913 Webster]

  "He wolde no such cursedness observe."  [1913 Webster]

  "Must I budge? Must I observe you?"  [1913 Webster]

  "With solemn purpose to observe
  Immutably his sovereign will."  [1913 Webster]
•  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]
•  To express as what has been noticed; to utter as a remark; to say in a casual or incidental way; to remark.  [1913 Webster]

Observe, v. i. 

•  To take notice; to give attention to what one sees or hears; to attend.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make a remark; to comment; to make an observation{3}; -- generally with on or upon.  [1913 Webster]

  "I have barely quoted . . . without observing upon it."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To remark. See Remark.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Observe, v.
1 tr. (often foll. by that, how + clause) perceive, note; take notice of; become conscious of.
2 tr. watch carefully.
3 tr. a follow or adhere to (a law, command, method, principle, etc.). b keep or adhere to (an appointed time). c maintain (silence). d duly perform (a rite). e celebrate (an anniversary).
4 tr. examine and note (phenomena) without the aid of experiment.
5 tr. (often foll. by that + clause) say, esp. by way of comment.
6 intr. (foll. by on) make a remark or remarks about.

Derivative

observable adj. observably adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF observer f. L observare watch (as OB-, servare keep)

THESAURUS

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

ROGET THESAURUS

Observe

Observance

VB observe, comply with, respect, acknowledge, abide by, cling to, adhere to, be faithful to, act up to, meet, fulfill, carry out, carry into execution, execute, perform, keep, satisfy, discharge, do one's office, perform an obligation, fulfill an obligation, discharge an obligation, acquit oneself of an obligation, make good, make good one's word, make good one's promise, keep one's word, keep one's promise, redeem one's pledge, keep faith with, stand to one's engagement.

Vision

VB see, behold, discern, perceive, have in sight, descry, sight, make out, discover, distinguish, recognize, spy, espy, ken, get a sight of, have a sight of, catch a sight of, get a glimpse of, have a glimpse of, catch a glimpse of, command a view of, witness, contemplate, speculate, cast the eyes on, set the eyes on, be a spectator of, look on, see sights, see at a glance, look, view, eye, lift up the eyes, open one's eye, look at, look on, look upon, look over, look about one, look round, survey, scan, inspect, run the eye over, run the eye through, reconnoiter, glance round, glance on, glance over turn one's looks upon, bend one's looks upon, direct the eyes to, turn the eyes on, cast a glance, observe, watch, see with one's own eyes, watch for, peep, peer, pry, take a peep, play at bopeep, look full in the face, look hard at, look intently, strain one's eyes, fix the eyes upon, rivet the eyes upon, stare, gaze, pore over, gloat on, leer, ogle, glare, goggle, cock the eye, squint, gloat, look askance.

Attention

VB be attentive, attend, advert to, observe, look, see, view, remark, notice, regard, take notice, mark, give attention to, pay attention to, pay heed to, give heed to, incline an ear to, lend an ear to, trouble one's head about, give a thought to, animadvert to, occupy oneself with, contemplate, look at, look to, look after, look into, look over, see to, turn the mind to, bend the mind to, apply the mind to, direct the mind to, give the mind to, turn the eye to, bend the eye to, apply the eye to, direct the eye to, give the eye to, turn the attention to, bend the attention to, apply the attention to, direct the attention to, give the attention to, have an eye to, have in one's eye, bear in mind, take into account, take into consideration, keep in sight, keep in view, have regard to, heed, mind, take cognizance of entertain, recognize, make note of, take note of, note, examine cursorily, glance at, glance upon, glance over, cast the eyes over, pass the eyes over, run over, turn over the leaves, dip into, perstringe, skim, take a cursory view of, examine, examine closely, examine intently, scan, scrutinize, consider, give one's mind to, bend one's mind to, overhaul, revise, pore over, inspect, review, pass under review, take stock of, fix the eye on, rivet attention on, fix attention on, devote the eye to, fix the mind on, devote the thoughts to, hear out, think out, mind one's business, revert to, watch hearken to, listen to, prick up the ears, have the eyes open, keep the eyes open, come to the point, meet with attention, fall under one's notice, fall under one's observation, be under consideration, catch the eye, strike the eye, attract notice, catch the attention, awaken the attention, wake the attention, invite the attention, solicit the attention, attract the attention, claim the attention excite the attention, engage the attention, occupy the attention, strike the attention, arrest the attention, fix the attention, engross the attention, absorb the attention, rivet the attention, catch the mind, awaken the mind, wake the mind, invite the mind, solicit the mind, attract the mind, claim the mind excite the mind, engage the mind, occupy the mind, strike the mind, arrest the mind, fix the mind, engross the mind, absorb the mind, rivet the mind, catch the thoughts, awaken the thoughts, wake the thoughts, invite the thoughts, solicit the thoughts, attract the thoughts, claim the thoughts excite the thoughts, engage the thoughts, occupy the thoughts, strike the thoughts, arrest the thoughts, fix the thoughts, engross the thoughts, absorb the thoughts, rivet the thoughts, be present to the mind, be uppermost in the mind, bring under one's notice, point out, point to, point at, point the finger at, lay the finger on, indigitate, indicate, direct attention to, call attention to, show, put a mark upon, call soldiers to 'attention', bring forward.