observes

1. 1
   verb

   Third-person singular present of observe.

   The astronomer observes distant galaxies through a powerful telescope.

   Our community observes several holidays throughout the year.

   Note

   One spelling carries every sense of the verb: an astronomer observes a comet, a community observes a holiday or a religious custom, and in its intransitive use a speaker simply observes, passing comment. The watching and keeping senses take a direct object, while the remark sense can stand without one. The same letters also spell the archaic plural noun, where observes means remarks rather than an action.

2. 2
   nounarchaic

   Plural of observe, an archaic noun.

   Note

   An archaic noun in the plural: an observe was a remark or comment, something observed aloud, and observes are several of them. Today the word is observation, so this form sounds old-fashioned outside period writing. It is spelled exactly like the verb's present-tense form (she observes the stars). Context tells them apart: after an article, a possessive or a number, it is the noun.

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