Dictionary
ob•ject
Pronunciation: (
—n.ob'jikt, -jekt;
—v.ub-jekt'), [key]—
n.
1. anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form.
2. a thing, person, or matter to which thought or action is directed:
an object of medical investigation.
3. the end toward which effort or action is directed; goal; purpose:
Profit is the object of business.
4. a person or thing with reference to the impression made on the mind or the feeling or emotion elicited in an observer:
an object of curiosity and pity.
5. anything that may be apprehended intellectually:
objects of thought.
6. Optics.the thing of which a lens or mirror forms an image.
7. Gram.(in many languages, as English) a noun, noun phrase, or noun substitute representing by its syntactical position either the goal of the action of a verb or the goal of a preposition in a prepositional phrase, as
ball in
John hit the ball, Venice in
He came to Venice, coin and
her in
He gave her a coin. Cf.
direct object, indirect object.
8. Metaphys.something toward which a cognitive act is directed.
—
v.i.
1. to offer a reason or argument in opposition.
2. to express or feel disapproval, dislike, or distaste; be averse.
3. to refuse or attempt to refuse to permit some action, speech, etc.
—
v.t.
1. to state, claim, or cite in opposition; put forward in objection:
Some persons objected that the proposed import duty would harm world trade.
2. Archaic.to bring forward or adduce in opposition.
object.
1. objection.
2. objective.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
