Noun

(en noun)

The act of observing, and the fact of being observed.

*

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud,

* {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April, author=(Jeremy Bernstein)

, volume=100, issue=2, page=146, magazine=(American Scientist) , title= A Palette of Particles , passage=The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier.}}

The act of noting and recording some event; or the record of such noting.

A remark or comment.

* Shakespeare

That's a foolish observation .

* Alexander Pope

To observations which ourselves we make / We grow more partial for the observer's sake.

A judgement based on observing.

Performance of what is prescribed; adherence in practice; observance.

* Jeremy Taylor

We are to procure dispensation or leave to omit the observation of it in such circumstances.

Noun

Something discovered.

This latest discovery should eventually lead to much better treatments for disease.

(uncountable) The discovering of new things.

The purpose of the voyage was discovery .

automatic discovery of RSS feeds by a Web browser

(legal, uncountable) A pre-trial phase in which evidence is gathered.

The prosecution moved to suppress certain items turned up during discovery .

(legal, uncountable) Materials revealed to the opposing party during the pre-trial phase in which evidence is gathered.

The defense argued that the plaintiff's discovery was inadequate.