Word of the Day

: June 16, 2008

obeisance

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noun oh-BEE-sunss

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What It Means

1 : a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission : bow

2 : acknowledgment of another's superiority or importance : homage

obeisance in Context

The people paid obeisance to their god by kneeling at the shrine.

Did You Know?

When it first appeared in English in the late 14th century, "obeisance" shared the same meaning as "obedience." This makes sense given that "obeisance" can be traced back to the Anglo-French verb "obeir," which means "to obey" and is also an ancestor of our word "obey." The other senses of "obeisance" also date from the 14th century, but they have stood the test of time whereas the obedience sense is now obsolete.