obeisance

English

Alternative forms

• obeisaunce (obsolete)
• obeissance (obsolete)

Etymology

Middle English obeisaunce (“obedience, obeisance”), from Old French obeïssance, derived from obeïssant (“obedient”), participle of obeïr (“to obey”), from Latin oboedire, obedire; ob- (“to, for”) + audire (“to hear”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /oˈbeɪsəns/, X-SAMPA: /o"beIs@ns/

  Hyphenation: obei‧sance

  Rhymes: -eɪsəns

• Audio (US)

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Noun

obeisance (plural obeisances)

1. Demonstration of an obedient attitude, especially by bowing deeply.
   • 1845, Edgar Allan Poe, "The Raven":

     Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

     In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;

     Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

     But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door —

     Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door —

     Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

   • 1962, J. L. Austin, How To Do Things With Words (OUP paperback edition), p. 69:

     The situation in the case of actions which are non-linguistic but similar to performative utterances in that they are the performance of a conventional action (here ritual or ceremonial) is rather like this: suppose I bow deeply before you; it might not be clear whether I am doing obeisance to you or, say, stooping to observe the flora or to ease my indigestion.

2. An obedient attitude.

Usage notes

• Usually in the phrases do obeisance or make obeisance.