Nearby Words

obtain

[uhb-teyn] Origin

ob·tain

[uhb-teyn]
verb (used with object)
1.
to come into possession of; get, acquire, or procure, as through an effort or by a request: to obtain permission; to obtain a better income.
2.
Obsolete. to attain or reach.
verb (used without object)
3.
to be prevalent, customary, or in vogue; prevail: the morals that obtained in Rome.
4.
Archaic. to succeed.

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Obtain is a GRE word you need to know.
So is ossify. Does it mean:
harden or to become bone
awkward

Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English obteinen < Middle French obtenir < Latin obtinēre to take hold of, equivalent to ob- ob- + -tinēre (combining form of tenēre to hold)

ob·tain·a·ble, adjective
ob·tain·a·bil·i·ty, noun
ob·tain·er, noun
ob·tain·ment, noun
pre·ob·tain, verb (used with object)
EXPAND
pre·ob·tain·a·ble, adjective
re·ob·tain, verb (used with object)
re·ob·tain·a·ble, adjective
un·ob·tain·a·ble, adjective
un·ob·tained, adjective
COLLAPSE


1. gain, achieve, earn, win, attain. See get.


1. lose, forgo.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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World English Dictionary
obtain (əbˈteɪn)
 
vb
1.  (tr) to gain possession of; acquire; get
2.  (intr) to be customary, valid, or accepted: a new law obtains in this case
3.  archaic (tr) to arrive at
4.  archaic (intr) to win a victory; succeed
 
[C15: via Old French from Latin obtinēre to take hold of, from ob- (intensive) + tenēre to hold]
 
ob'tainable
 
adj
 
obtaina'bility
 
n
 
ob'tainer
 
n
 
ob'tainment
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin & History

obtain
c.1425, from M.Fr. obtenir (14c.), from L. obtinere "hold, take hold of, acquire," from ob "to" (though perhaps intensive in this case) + tenere "to hold" (see tenet).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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