| obex | The point on the midline of the dorsal surface of the medulla oblongata that marks the caudal angle of the rhomboid fossa or fourth ventricle. It corresponds to a small, transverse medullary fold overhanging the calamus scriptorius. Origin: L. Barrier (05 Mar 2000) |
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| obfirmation | Hardness of heart; obduracy. Origin: LL. Obfirmatio. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| obfuscate | To darken; to obscure; to becloud; hence, to confuse; to bewilder. "His head, like a smokejack, the funnel unswept, and the ideas whirling round and round about in it, all obfuscated and darkened over with fuliginous matter." (Sterne) "Clouds of passion which might obfuscate the intellects of meaner females." (Sir. W. Scott) Origin: Obfuscated; Obfuscating. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| obfuscation | 1. A rendering dark or obscure. 2. A deliberate attempt to confuse or to prevent understanding. Origin: L. Ob-fusco, pp. -atus, to darken, fr. Fuscus, dark, tawny (05 Mar 2000) |
| obidoxime chloride | <chemical> 1,1'-(oxybis(methylene))bis(4-(hydroxyimino)methyl)pyridinium dichloride. Cholinesterase reactivator occurring in two interchangeable isomeric forms, syn and anti. Pharmacological action: cholinesterase reactivators. Chemical name: Pyridinium, 1,1'-(oxybis(methylene))bis(4-((hydroxyimino)methyl)-, dichloride (12 Dec 1998) |
| obimbricate | <botany> Imbricated, with the overlapping ends directed downward. Origin: Pref. Ob- + imbricate. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| obituary | Origin: Cf. F. Obituaire. See Obit. 1. That which pertains to, or is called forth by, the obit or death of a person; especially, an account of a deceased person; a notice of the death of a person, accompanied by a biographical sketch. 2. A list of the dead, or a register of anniversary days when service is performed for the dead. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| object | 1. That which is put, or which may be regarded as put, in the way of some of the senses; something visible or tangible; as, he observed an object in the distance; all the objects in sight; he touched a strange object in the dark. 2. That which is set, or which may be regarded as set, before the mind so as to be apprehended or known; that of which the mind by any of its activities takes cognizance, whether a thing external in space or a conception formed by the mind itself; as, an object of knowledge, wonder, fear, thought, study, etc. "Object is a term for that about which the knowing subject is conversant; what the schoolmen have styled the "materia circa quam."" (Sir. W. Hamilton) "The object of their bitterest hatred." (Macaulay) 3. That by which the mind, or any of its activities, is directed; that on which the purpose are fixed as the end of action or effort; that which is sought for; end; aim; motive; final cause. "Object, beside its proper signification, came to be abusively applied to denote motive, end, final cause. This innovation was probably borrowed from the French." (Sir. W. Hamilton) "Let our object be, our country, our whole country, and nothing but our country." (D. Webster) 4. Sight; show; appearance; aspect. "He, advancing close Up to the lake, past all the rest, arose In glorious object." (Chapman) 5. A word, phrase, or clause toward which an action is directed, or is considered to be directed; as, the object of a transitive verb. Object glass, the lens, or system of lenses, placed at the end of a telescope, microscope, etc, which is toward the object. Its office is to form an image of the object, which is then viewed by the eyepiece. Called also objective. Object lesson, a lesson in which object teaching is made use of. Object staff. Same as Leveling staff. Object teaching, a method of instruction, in which illustrative objects are employed, each new word or idea being accompanied by a representation of that which it signifies; used especially in the kindergarten, for young children. Origin: L. Objectus. See Object. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| object attachment | Emotional attachment to someone or something in the environment. (12 Dec 1998) |
| object blindness | Visual agnosia for objects. The subjet sees the object, but cannot identify it; due to a lesion in area 18 of the occipital cortex. Synonym: object blindness, psychanopsia, psychic blindness. (05 Mar 2000) |
| object choice | In psychoanalysis, the object (usually a person) upon which psychic energy is centreed. (05 Mar 2000) |
| object constancy | The tendency for objects to be perceived as unchanging despite variations in the positions in and conditions under which the objects are observed; e.g., a book's shape is always perceived as a rectangle regardless of the visual angle from which it is viewed. (05 Mar 2000) |
| object field | <microscopy> A position lying in the front focal plane of the objective. (05 Aug 1998) |
| object glass | 1. <psychology> Perceptible to the external senses. 2. <ophthalmology> The lens or system of lenses in a microscope (or telescope) that is nearest to the object under examination. Origin: L. Objectivus (18 Nov 1997) |
| object relationship | In the behavioural sciences, the emotional bond between an individual and another person (or between two groups), as opposed to the individual's (or group's) interest in him or herself (itself). (05 Mar 2000) |