Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Object?

\Ob*ject"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Objected}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Objecting}.] [L. objectus, p. p. of objicere, obicere, to throw or put before, to oppose; ob (see {Ob-}) + jacere to throw: cf. objecter. See {Jet} a shooting forth.] 1. To set before or against; to bring into opposition; to oppose. [Obs.] Of less account some knight thereto object, Whose loss so great and harmful can not prove. --Fairfax. Some strong impediment or other objecting itself. --Hooker. Pallas to their eyes The mist objected, and condensed the skies. --Pope. 2. To offer in opposition as a criminal charge or by way of accusation or reproach; to adduce as an objection or adverse reason. He gave to him to object his heinous crime. --Spencer. Others object the poverty of the nation. --Addison. The book . . . giveth liberty to object any crime against such as are to be ordered. --Whitgift.
\Ob*ject"\, v. i. To make opposition in words or argument; -- usually followed by to. --Sir. T. More.
\Ob"ject\, n. [L. objectus. See {Object}, v. t.] 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. [Obs.] --Shak. He, advancing close Up to the lake, past all the rest, arose In glorious object. --Chapman. 5. (Gram.) 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}. See Illust. of {Microscope}. {Object lesson}, a lesson in which object teaching is made use of. {Object staff}. (Leveling) 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.
\Ob*ject"\, a. [L. objectus, p. p.] Opposed; presented in opposition; also, exposed. [Obs.]