Adjacent Words

object lesson definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: punishment intended as a warning to others; "they decided to make an example of him" [syn: example, deterrent example, lesson, object lesson]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1831 something that serves as a practical example of a principle or abstract idea

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Object, beside its proper signification, came to be abusively applied to denote motive, end, final cause . . . . This innovation was probably borrowed from the French. --Sir. W. Hamilton. Let our object be, our country, our whole country, and nothing but our country. --D. Webster. 4. Sight; show; appearance; aspect. [Obs.] --Shak. He, advancing close Up to the lake, past all the rest, arose In glorious object. --Chapman. 5. (Gram.) A word, phrase, or clause toward which an action is directed, or is considered to be directed; as, the object of a transitive verb. Object glass, the lens, or system of lenses, placed at the end of a telescope, microscope, etc., which is toward the object. Its office is to form an image of the object, which is then viewed by the eyepiece. Called also objective. See Illust. of Microscope. Object lesson, a lesson in which object teaching is made use of. Object staff. (Leveling) Same as Leveling staff. Object teaching, a method of instruction, in which illustrative objects are employed, each new word or idea being accompanied by a representation of that which it signifies; -- used especially in the kindergarten, for young children.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(object lessons) If you describe an action, event, or situation as an object lesson, you think that it demonstrates the correct way to do something, or that it demonstrates the truth of a particular principle. It was an object lesson in how to use television as a means of persuasion. = example N-COUNT: oft N on/in n

Moby Thesaurus

admonishment, admonition, alarm, assignment, case, case in point, caution, caveat, chalk talk, demonstration, deterrent example, discourse, disquisition, emblem, example, exemplar, exemplification, exercise, explanation, exponent, exposition, final notice, final warning, harangue, hint, homework, homily, illustration, instance, instruction, lecture, lecture-demonstration, lesson, monition, moral, moral lesson, morality, moralization, notice, notification, preachment, recital, recitation, relevant instance, representative, sermon, set task, skull session, symbol, talk, task, teaching, threat, tip-off, type, typical example, ultimatum, verbum sapienti, warning, warning piece