object: Meaning and Definition of

ob•ject

Pronunciation: (n.ob'jikt, -jektv.&schwab&sylpjekt'), [key]
— n.
  1. anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form.
  2. a thing, person, or matter to which thought or action is directed: an object of medical investigation.
  3. the end toward which effort or action is directed; goal; purpose: Profit is the object of business.
  4. a person or thing with reference to the impression made on the mind or the feeling or emotion elicited in an observer: an object of curiosity and pity.
  5. anything that may be apprehended intellectually: objects of thought.
  6. the thing of which a lens or mirror forms an image.
  7. (in many languages, as English) a noun, noun phrase, or noun substitute representing by its syntactical position either the goal of the action of a verb or the goal of a preposition in a prepositional phrase, as ball in John hit the ball, Venice in He came to Venice, coin and her in He gave her a coin. Cf.
  8. something toward which a cognitive act is directed.
—v.i.
  1. to offer a reason or argument in opposition.
  2. to express or feel disapproval, dislike, or distaste; be averse.
  3. to refuse or attempt to refuse to permit some action, speech, etc.
—v.t.
  1. to state, claim, or cite in opposition; put forward in objection: Some persons objected that the proposed import duty would harm world trade.
  2. to bring forward or adduce in opposition.

object.

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. objection.
  2. objective.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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