Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Obeisance

O-bei′sance

,
Noun.
[F.
obéissance
obedience, fr.
obéissant
. See
Obey
, and cf.
Obedience
,
Abaisance
.]
1.
Obedience.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Bathsheba bowed and did
obeisance
unto the king.
1 Kings i. 16.

Webster 1828 Edition


Obeisance

OBE'ISANCE

,
Noun.
[L. obedio.]
A bow or courtesy; an act of reverence made by an inclination of the body or the knee. Gen. 37.

Definition 2024


obeisance

obeisance

English

Alternative forms

Noun

obeisance (plural obeisances)

  1. Demonstration of an obedient attitude, especially by bowing deeply; a deep bow which demonstrates such an attitude.
    • 1845, Edgar Allan Poe, "The Raven":
      Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
      In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
      Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
      But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door —
      Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door —
      Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
    • 1962, J. L. Austin, How To Do Things With Words (OUP paperback edition), p. 69:
      The situation in the case of actions which are non-linguistic but similar to performative utterances in that they are the performance of a conventional action (here ritual or ceremonial) is rather like this: suppose I bow deeply before you; it might not be clear whether I am doing obeisance to you or, say, stooping to observe the flora or to ease my indigestion.
  2. An obedient attitude.

Usage notes

  • Usually in the phrases do obeisance or make obeisance.

Translations