Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Object
Ob-ject′
(ŏb-jĕkt′)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Objected
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Objecting
.] 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
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.
1.
That which is put, or which may be regarded as put, in the way of some of the senses; something visible or tangible and persists for an appreciable time;
as, he observed an
object
in the distance; all the objects
in sight; he touched a strange object
in the dark.2.
Anything 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 toward 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; goal; 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
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 verbObject glass
, the lens, or system of lenses, placed at the end of a telescope, microscope, etc., which is toward the object. Its function is to form an image of the object, which is then viewed by the eyepiece. Called also
– objective
or objective lens
. 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′
,Adj.
[L.
objectus
, p. p.] Opposed; presented in opposition; also, exposed.
[Obs.]
Webster 1828 Edition
Object
OB'JECT
,Noun.
1.
That about which any power or faculty is employed, or something apprehended or presented to the mind by sensation or imagination. Thus that quality of a rose which is perceived by the sense of smell, is an object of perception. When the object is not in contact with the organ of sense, there must be some medium through which we obtain the perception of it. The impression which objects make on the senses, must be by the immediate application of them to the organs of sense, or by means of the medium that intervenes between the organs and the objects.2.
That to which the mind is directed for accomplishment or attainment; end; ultimate purpose. Happiness is the object of every man's desires; we all strive to attain that object. Wealth and honor are pursued with eagerness as desirable objects.3.
Something presented to the senses or the mind, to excite emotion, affection or passion.This passenger felt some degree of concern at the sight of so moving an object.
In this sense, the word uttered with a particular emphasis, signifies something that may strongly move our pity, abhorrence or disgust. What an object!
4.
In grammar, that which is produced, influenced or acted on by something else; that which follows a transitive verb. When we say, 'God created the world,' world denotes the thing produced, and is the object after the verb created. When we say, 'the light affects the eye,' eye denotes that which is affected or acted on. When we say, 'instruction directs the mind or opinions,' mind and opinions,' mind and opinions are the objects influenced.