observatory

[ uhb-zur-vuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]

/ əbˈzɜr vəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for observatory on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ob·serv·a·to·ries.

a place or building equipped and used for making observations of astronomical, meteorological, or other natural phenomena, especially a place equipped with a powerful telescope for observing the planets and stars.

an institution that controls or carries on the work of such a place.

a place or structure that provides an extensive view; lookout.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of observatory

1670–80; <Latin observā(re) to observe + -tory²

Words nearby observatory

observant, observation, observational, observation car, observation post, observatory, observe, observer, obsess, obsessed, obsession

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use observatory in a sentence

It was the brightest and closest supernova since the invention of the telescope some four centuries earlier, and just about every observatory turned to take a look.
Secret Ingredient Found to Power Supernovas|Thomas Lewton|January 21, 2021|Quanta Magazine
A lucky celestial lineup means that dozens of other observatories will be trained on the sun at the same time.
The Parker Solar Probe will have company on its next pass by the sun|Lisa Grossman|January 15, 2021|Science News
“Webb is the world’s most complex space observatory and our top science priority, and we’ve worked hard to keep progress moving during the pandemic,” Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said this year.
2021 could be a huge year for space. Here’s what’s to come from NASA, Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos.|Christian Davenport|December 30, 2020|Washington Post
The observatory would take images of the radio universe fifty times crisper than any other telescope.
The Arecibo Observatory collapsed this week. What now?|Charlie Wood|December 4, 2020|Popular-Science

As an adult, Rivera-Valentín returned to the observatory to work as a planetary scientist, using Arecibo to map the shapes and motions of potentially dangerous near-Earth asteroids.
Why losing Arecibo is a big deal for astronomy|Maria Temming|December 4, 2020|Science News
Lenormand managed to jump publicly from an observatory and survive.
The High-Flying Secrets of BASE Jumpers|William O’Connor|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The instrument is attached to the Anglo-Australian Telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory, northwest of Sydney, Australia.
SAMI Is Like Google Earth for the Universe|Matthew R. Francis|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because GRBs are so rare, the best way to look for them is with an automated observatory.
The Gamma-Ray Burst That Wasn’t|Matthew R. Francis|June 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I visited the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico two years ago, where the telescope taking data for BOSS is located.
Using Black Holes to Measure Dark Energy, Like a BOSS|Matthew R. Francis|April 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nearly 700 people have been killed in the fighting in recent days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Turkey’s Crackdown On Arms Shipments To Syria Could Help Al Qaeda And Harm Moderate Rebels|Thomas Seibert|January 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Captain Vane came from the observatory, his face blazing with excitement and oily with heat, to announce the fact.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Sometimes the Time Observatory would pinpoint an age and hover over it while his companions took painstaking historical notes.
The Man from Time|Frank Belknap Long
The iris of the human eye dilates and contracts with every shift of illumination, and the Time Observatory had an iris too.
The Man from Time|Frank Belknap Long
He remained on his feet just long enough to see his Time Observatory dim and vanish.
The Man from Time|Frank Belknap Long
Ascending into the Time Observatory a thought came unbidden into his mind: Others he saved, himself he could not save.
The Man from Time|Frank Belknap Long

British Dictionary definitions for observatory

observatory

/ (əbˈzɜːvətərɪ, -trɪ) /

noun plural -ries

an institution or building specially designed and equipped for observing meteorological and astronomical phenomena

any building or structure providing an extensive view of its surroundings

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

observatory

Origin of observatory

Words nearby observatory

Words related to observatory

How to use observatory in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for observatory