Library / English Dictionary

OBJECT

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

Example:

it was full of rackets, balls and other objects

Synonyms:

object; physical object

Classified under:

Nouns with no superordinates

Hypernyms ("object" is a kind of...):

physical entity (an entity that has physical existence)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "object"):

finding (something that is found)

floater (an object that floats or is capable of floating)

fomite; vehicle (any inanimate object (as a towel or money or clothing or dishes or books or toys etc.) that can transmit infectious agents from one person to another)

formation; geological formation ((geology) the geological features of the earth)

growth (something grown or growing)

hail (many objects thrown forcefully through the air)

head (a rounded compact mass)

ice (the frozen part of a body of water)

dry land; earth; ground; land; solid ground; terra firma (the solid part of the earth's surface)

ground; land; soil (material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use))

moon (any object resembling a moon)

neighbor; neighbour (a nearby object of the same kind)

remains (any object that is left unused or still extant)

ribbon; thread (any long object resembling a thin line)

shiner (something that shines (with emitted or reflected light))

vagabond (anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place)

wall (anything that suggests a wall in structure or function or effect)

web (an intricate network suggesting something that was formed by weaving or interweaving)

unit; whole (an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity)

location (a point or extent in space)

charm; good luck charm (something believed to bring good luck)

curio; curiosity; oddity; oddment; peculiarity; rarity (something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting)

draw; lot (anything (straws or pebbles etc.) taken or chosen at random)

film (a thin coating or layer)

hoodoo (something believed to bring bad luck)

je ne sais quoi (something indescribable)

keepsake; relic; souvenir; token (something of sentimental value)

filler; makeweight (anything added to fill out a whole)

part; portion (something less than the whole of a human artifact)

prop; property (any movable articles or objects used on the set of a play or movie)

snake (something long, thin, and flexible that resembles a snake)

stuff (miscellaneous unspecified objects)

small beer; trifle; trivia; triviality (something of small importance)

paring ((usually plural) a part of a fruit or vegetable that is pared or cut off; especially the skin or peel)

catch (anything that is caught (especially if it is worth catching))

commemorative (an object (such as a coin or postage stamp) made to mark an event or honor a person)

discard (anything that is cast aside or discarded)

Derivation:

objectify (make external or objective, or give reality to)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The focus of cognitions or feelings

Example:

the object of my affection

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("object" is a kind of...):

cognitive content; content; mental object (the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "object"):

love; passion (any object of warm affection or devotion)

infatuation (an object of extravagant short-lived passion)

hallucination (an object perceived during a hallucinatory episode)

center; center of attention; centre; centre of attention (the object upon which interest and attention focuses)

execration (the object of cursing or detestation; that which is execrated)

bugbear; hobgoblin (an object of dread or apprehension)

antipathy (the object of a feeling of intense aversion; something to be avoided)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable)

Example:

the sole object of her trip was to see her children

Synonyms:

aim; object; objective; target

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("object" is a kind of...):

end; goal (the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "object"):

grail (the object of any prolonged endeavor)

business (an immediate objective)

point (the object of an activity)

thing (a special objective)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(computing) a discrete item that provides a description of virtually anything known to a computer

Example:

in object-oriented programming, objects include data and define its status, its methods of operation and how it interacts with other objects

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("object" is a kind of...):

computer science; computing (the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures)

Sense 5

Meaning:

(grammar) a constituent that is acted upon

Example:

the object of the verb

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("object" is a kind of...):

constituent; grammatical constituent ((grammar) a word or phrase or clause forming part of a larger grammatical construction)

Domain category:

grammar (the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "object"):

retained object (an object in a passive construction)

indirect object (the object that is the recipient or beneficiary of the action of the verb)

direct object; object of the verb (the object that receives the direct action of the verb)

object of a preposition; prepositional object (the object governed by a preposition)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Express or raise an objection or protest or criticism or express dissent

Example:

When asked to drive the truck, she objected that she did not have a driver's license

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "object" is one way to...):

disapprove; reject (deem wrong or inappropriate)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "object"):

demur; except (take exception to)

challenge; take exception (raise a formal objection in a court of law)

carp; cavil; chicane (raise trivial objections)

mind (be offended or bothered by; take offense with, be bothered by)

remonstrate (argue in protest or opposition)

make a stink; raise a stink; raise hell (take strong and forceful action, as to object or express discontent)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Something ----s to somebody
Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

objection (the act of protesting; a public (often organized) manifestation of dissent)

objection (the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest)

objector (a person who dissents from some established policy)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be averse to or express disapproval of

Example:

My wife objects to modern furniture

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "object" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

objection (the act of protesting; a public (often organized) manifestation of dissent)

Credits

 Context examples: 

She was the first object of his love, but it was a love which his stronger spirits, and bolder temper, made it as natural for him to express as to feel.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

How often I stopped with the intention of returning, and yet every time my pride conquered my fear, and sent me on again until my object should be attained.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And what opiate for his severe sufferings—what object for his strong passions—had he sought there?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I wished, as it were, to procrastinate all that related to my feelings of affection until the great object, which swallowed up every habit of my nature, should be completed.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

A single data item related to a database object.

(Object Attribute, NCI Thesaurus)

An artifact resulting from factors within the object being imaged.

(Object Artifact, NCI Thesaurus)

A tool for moving individual molecules or nanoscale objects, such as an atomic force microscope.

(Nanomanipulator, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

An instrument that is used to look at cells and other small objects that cannot be seen with the eye alone.

(Microscope, NCI Dictionary)

An object composed of, or containing metal.

(Metallic Object, NCI Thesaurus)

Non-random movement of an object(s) from one location to another.

(Migration, NCI Thesaurus)