Other forms: observers
An observer is somebody who watches, especially in an official role. An election observer, a UN observer, an outside observer.
The official sense is precise: an observer attends but does not take part, and observer status at an organisation means the right to sit in without voting. Election observers report on whether a vote was fair. In casual use it means anybody watching — a casual observer would not notice. Note observe, observation; and that the observer effect is the change caused by the watching itself.
1nounobserverSomebody who watches in an official role.
“International observers watched the election to make sure it was fair.”
2nounanybodyAnybody who watches.
“An observer standing on the bridge would have seen the whole accident.”
observer is a watcher.
Proto-Indo-European
*ser- (guard)
Proto-Indo-European
*ser- — to guard
Latin
observō — to watch
Old French
observer
Middle French
observer
English
observe
English, today
observer
Built from
From observe + -er. observe comes from Middle French observer, from Old French observer, from Latin observō (“to watch”), from ob- (“before”) + servō (“to keep”), from Proto-Indo-European ser- (“to guard”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (“weapons, armour”), Old English searu (“device”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA