verb
observe
uhb-ZURV/əbˈzɜːrv/
To notice or watch something carefully.
A man leans close to observe a ladybug crawling along a leaf.
Etymology
The underlying verb meant watching over or keeping something safe. The sense of watching and noticing developed through the more specific practice of seeing and noting omens.
In context
to be able to make a positive identification of persons hand writing a document examiner must be able to observe the distinguished individual features that separate one person from all others
More examples
- The students observe how seeds sprout in damp soil.
- We observed a slight change in her breathing.
- “The room looks brighter,” she observed after we painted it.
Forms
observe · observes · observed · observing
observer noun — Someone who watches or notices something.
observation noun — Careful watching, or a comment about something.