obey

obey
obeyable, adj.obeyer, n.obeyingly, adv.
/oh bay"/, v.t.
1. to comply with or follow the commands, restrictions, wishes, or instructions of: to obey one's parents.
2. to comply with or follow (a command, restriction, wish, instruction, etc.).
3. (of things) to respond conformably in action to: The car obeyed the slightest touch of the steering wheel.
4. to submit or conform in action to (some guiding principle, impulse, one's conscience, etc.).
v.i.
5. to be obedient: to agree to obey.
[1250-1300; ME obeien < OF obeir < L oboedire, equiv. to ob- OB- + audire to hear; -oe- for expected -u- is unclear]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • OBEY (A.) — OBEY ANDRÉ (1892 1975) Né à Douai dans le Nord et mort à Montsoreau en Touraine, André Obey écrit ses deux premières pièces en collaboration avec Denys Amiel: La Souriante Madame Beudet , créée en 1921 par le groupe du Canard sauvage, connaît le… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • obey — obey, comply, mind are comparable when they mean to follow the wish, direction, or command of another. Obey is the general term and implies ready or submissive yielding to the authority of another (as by the performance of his command or bidding) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Obey — may refer to: Obedience (human behavior), the act of following instructions or recognizing someone s authority André Obey, the 20th century French playwright David Obey, US Congressman from Wisconsin Obey, a 1995 album by the Swedish band… …   Wikipedia

  • Obey — O*bey , v. i. To give obedience. [1913 Webster] Will he obey when one commands? Tennyson. [1913 Webster] Note: By some old writers obey was used, as in the French idiom, with the preposition to. [1913 Webster] His servants ye are, to whom ye obey …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Obey — O*bey , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Obeyed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Obeying}.] [OE. obeyen, F. ob[ e]ir, fr. L. obedire, oboedire; ob (see Ob ) + audire to hear. See {Audible}, and cf. {Obeisance}.] 1. To give ear to; to execute the commands of; to yield… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Obey — ist der Name folgender Personen: David Obey (* 1938), US amerikanischer Politiker Ebenezer Obey (* 1942), nigerianischer Musiker Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort bezeichneter …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • obey — I verb abide by, accede, accept, accommodate, acquiesce, act in accordance with orders, act on, adhere to, agree, answer to, assent, attend to, attend to orders, be devoted to, be faithful to, be governed by, be guided by, be loyal to, be… …   Law dictionary

  • obey — [ō bā′] vt. [ME obeien < OFr obeir < L obedire, to obey < OL oboedire < ob (see OB ) + audire, to hear: see AUDIENCE] 1. to carry out the instructions or orders of 2. to carry out (an instruction or order) 3. to be guided by; submit… …   English World dictionary

  • obey — (v.) late 13c., from O.Fr. obeir, from L. obedire, oboedire obey, pay attention to, give ear, lit. listen to, from ob to (see OB (Cf. ob )) + audire listen, hear (see AUDIENCE (Cf. audience)). Same sense development is in cognate O.E …   Etymology dictionary

  • obey — [v] conform, give in abide by, accede, accept, accord, acquiesce, act upon, adhere to, agree, answer, assent, be loyal to, be ruled by, bow to*, carry out, comply, concur, discharge, do as one says, do one’s bidding, do one’s duty, do what is… …   New thesaurus

  • obey — ► VERB 1) submit to the authority of. 2) carry out (an order). 3) behave in accordance with (a principle or law). ORIGIN Old French obeir, from Latin oboedire, from audire hear …   English terms dictionary

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