Object

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɒb.d͡ʒɛkt/

Definitions

1. A physical thing that can be seen or touched, or a goal toward which effort is directed
2. A tangible item that is perceptible by sight or touch, or a concept that serves as someone's aim or intention
3. An item that has physical presence and can be interacted with, or a purpose or target someone's actions strive to achieve

Etymology: The English noun "object" arrived by way of a translation trick. Medieval Latin scholars needed a word for the Ancient Greek "antikeímenon," meaning something set against or opposite, and they built "obiectum" from "obiciō," which combined "ob-" ("against") with "iaciō" ("to throw"). Literally, the Latin meant "thrown against," a deliberate copy of the Greek construction rather than a word that grew up naturally in Latin speech. The sense "thing thrown against" then carried over into both the physical and the mental. Old French took the word as "objet," and English picked it up from there. The "thrown against" idea survives in the modern meanings: a physical object is something that stands in the way of your sight or touch, and an object of intention is a goal set before the mind, something your aim is directed against or toward.

Synonyms: item, thing, entity, article, subject

Antonyms: subject, agent