observatory

C2+ Topic:Nature & Landscape

US /əbˈzɝvətɔri/ UK /əbˈzɜːvətri/ See IPA manual

noun

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 observe observation observer

Etymology

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

# 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

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observatory

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