observatory

noun

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

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

Synonyms

• lookout
• outlook
• overlook

Examples of observatory in a Sentence

the observatory is located on a mountaintop

Recent Examples on the Web

Talk takes place in Steigerwald Hall, Saints Center, followed by night sky viewing at the observatory. —Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 15 Sep. 2024

Meanwhile, the meteorological observatory of the city of Haikou downgraded its typhoon signal from red to orange on Saturday, as the storm moved farther away. —Zen Soo and Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2024

This bedrock is also why Antarctica is home to the South Pole Telescope, a radio observatory that helped take the first ever photo of a black hole. —Briley Lewis, Popular Science, 5 Sep. 2024

In Hong Kong, the city’s markets will be shut today after the Hong Kong observatory issued a typhoon signal due to Super Typhoon Yagi. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin observātōrium "place for observing celestial phenomena," from Latin observāre "to give attention, watch carefully, observe" + -tōrium, suffix of place, noun derivative from neuter of -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

observatory

noun

ob·​ser·​va·​to·​ry əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

plural observatories

1

: a place or institution equipped with instruments for observation of natural objects and events (as in astronomy)

2

: a place providing a wide view