observatory

noun ob·ser·va·to·ry \ əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtȯr-ē \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of observatory

plural observatories

1 : a building or place given over to or equipped for observation of natural phenomena (as in astronomy); also : an institution whose primary purpose is making such observations

2 : a situation or structure commanding a wide view

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Examples of observatory in a Sentence

the observatory is located on a mountaintop

Recent Examples of observatory from the Web

Only one near-future facility can easily pierce the Milky Way’s luminous veil: the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), a behemoth of an observatory with an 8.4-meter, wide-field mirror hooked up to a three-gigapixel camera.

— lee billings, Scientific American, "Looking for Planet Nine, Astronomers Gaze into the Abyss," 22 Mar. 2018
In the Peruvian desert north of Lima, at a site called Chankillo, an enormous astronomical observatory sits atop a ridge.

— National Geographic, "Vernal Equinox 2018: Facts About the First Day of Spring," 20 Mar. 2018
Located just south of the DMZ, the observatory is one of northernmost points in South Korea where civilians can travel to have a glimpse into North Korea.

— Washington Post, "In South Korea’s Olympic hills, traces of the North abound," 21 Feb. 2018
On a second table is Nix’s newest diorama, an observatory.

— abigail jones, Newsweek, "The 'Post-Mankind' Vision of Photographer Lori Nix," 9 Feb. 2015
But later that month a report from the Government Accountability Office warned that the company had fallen behind schedule on the supposedly easier parts of the observatory.

— lee billings, Scientific American, "NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Slips to 2020, and Astronomy Suffers," 27 Mar. 2018
That included an excellent excursion led by the rental and tour service Lima Bike to a hilltop observatory at the south end of the city, plus an independent ramble with my partner during the Ciclovía.

— john greenfield, Chicago Reader, "Lima’s beautiful boulevard bike paths could be a hit in Chicago," 26 Mar. 2018
The African dust covered the entire country and concentrations were the highest in the last 10 years, according to the observatory's meteorological service.

— amanda jackson, CNN, "Orange snow blankets parts of Russia," 25 Mar. 2018
One winter night in 1969, at an observatory atop Kitt Peak in Arizona, Michael Disney had a funny thought.

— adam hadhazy, Discover Magazine, "Taking a Dim View," 9 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'observatory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of observatory

probably from New Latin observatorium, from Latin observare

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1673

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

observatory Synonyms

Synonyms

lookout, outlook, overlook;

Related Words

aerie, crow's nest, tower, watchtower;

OBSERVATORY Defined for English Language Learners

observatory

noun

Definition of observatory for English Language Learners

: a special building for studying stars, planets, weather, etc. : a building from which scientists study and watch the sky

OBSERVATORY Defined for Kids

observatory

noun ob·ser·va·to·ry \ əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtȯr-ē \

Definition of observatory for Students

plural observatories

: a place that has instruments for making observations (as of the stars)

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See words that rhyme with observatory Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for observatory Spanish Central: Translation of observatory Nglish: Translation of observatory for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of observatory for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about observatory

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