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obi

 - 8 dictionary results

o⋅bi

1  [oh-bee; Japn. aw-bee]
Use obi in a Sentence
–noun, plural o⋅bis, o⋅bi.
a long, broad sash tied about the waist over a Japanese kimono.
Origin:
1875–80; < Japn: girdle, gird (v.)

o⋅bi

2  [oh-bee]
–noun, plural o⋅bis.
obeah.

o⋅be⋅ah

  [oh-bee-uh]
–noun
1. a form of belief involving sorcery, practiced in parts of the West Indies, South America, the southern U.S., and Africa.
2. a fetish or charm used in practicing obeah.
Also, obi.

Origin:
1750–60; cf. Gullah, Jamaican E, Guyanan E, Sranan óbia magic, charm; < a West African language, though precise source unclear; cf. Twi ɔ-bayifó sorcerer (compound with -fo person), Igbo díbìà folk healer (compound with dí- expert in)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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o·be·ah   (ō'bē-ə)   
n.   pl. o·be·ahs also o·bis

  1. A form of religious belief of African origin, practiced in some parts of the West Indies, Jamaica, and nearby tropical America, involving sorcery.

  2. An object, charm, or fetish used in the practice of this religion.


[Black and West Indian English, of West African origin; akin to Efik ubio, anything noxious, something put in the ground to cause sickness or death, bad omen.]
o·bi 1   (ō'bē)   
n.   pl. o·bis
A wide sash fastened in the back with a large flat bow, worn by women in Japan as a part of the traditional dress.

[Japanese.]
o·bi 2   (ō'bē)   
n.  Variant of obeah.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

obeah 
"sorcery, witchcraft" among blacks in Africa and the W.Indies, 1760, from a W. African word, cf. Efik (southern Nigeria) ubio "a thing or mixture left as a charm to cause sickness or death," Twi ebayifo "witch, wizard, sorcerer."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

obi

wide sash or belt made of satin or a stiff silk material, worn since ancient times in Japan to secure the kimono. A woman's obi is about 12 feet (370 cm) long and 10 inches (25 cm) wide; a man's obi is about three-fourths as long and one-sixth as wide. The obi is wound around the waist over the kimono and tied at the back.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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