observatory C2+ Topic:Nature & Landscape US /əbˈzɝvətɔri/ UK /əbˈzɜːvətri/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a building equipped for observing astronomical or natural phenomena From the observatory they watched the comet streak past. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a building equipped for... lookoutplanetarium Word family Related forms observeobservationobserver Etymology AI details From French observatoire or Modern Latin observatorium, from Latin observare ('to watch, heed'), from ob- plus servare ('to keep, watch'). observatorium New Latin servare Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Nature & Landscape Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # observatory **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /əbˈzɝvətɔri/ **IPA (UK):** /əbˈzɜːvətri/ ## Meanings 1. a building equipped for observing astronomical or natural phenomena ## Examples - From the observatory they watched the comet streak past. ## Synonyms - lookout - planetarium ## Related Forms - observe - observation - observer ## Roots and Affixes - Root: observatorium - Root: servare ## Etymology From French observatoire or Modern Latin observatorium, from Latin observare ('to watch, heed'), from ob- plus servare ('to keep, watch'). ## AI Etymology Observatory comes from French observatoire or Modern Latin observatorium, from Latin observare ('to watch, heed'), from ob- plus servare ('to keep, watch'). The etymological trail includes New Latin observatorium and Latin servare. As a noun, observatory means a building equipped for observing astronomical or natural phenomena. The same family is visible in related forms such as observe, observation, and observer. ## Topics - Nature & Landscape - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown