Ob- \Ob-\ [L. ob, prep. Cf. Epi-.]
   A prefix signifying to, toward, before, against, reversely,
   etc.; also, as a simple intensive; as in oblige, to bind to;
   obstacle, something standing before; object, lit., to throw
   against; obovate, reversely, or oppositely, ovate. Ob- is
   commonly assimilated before c, f, g, and p, to oc-, of-, og-,
   and op-.
   [1913 Webster]

	

	Ob
     n 1: a major river of western Siberia; flows generally northward
          and westward to the Gulf of Ob and the Kara Sea [syn: Ob
          River]
     2: the branch of medicine dealing with childbirth and care of
        the mother [syn: obstetrics, tocology, midwifery]

	

	Ob- /ob/ pref. Obligatory. A piece of netiquette acknowledging that
   the author has been straying from the newsgroup's charter topic. For
   example, if a posting in alt.sex is a response to a part of someone
   else's posting that has nothing particularly to do with sex, the author
   may append `ObSex' (or `Obsex') and toss off a question or vignette
   about some unusual erotic act. It is considered a sign of great
   winnitude when one's Obs are more interesting than other people's
   whole postings.

	

	Ob-
     
        /ob/ prefix Obligatory.  A piece of netiquette acknowledging
        that the author has been straying from the newsgroup's charter
        topic.  For example, if a posting in alt.sex is a response to
        a part of someone else's posting that has nothing particularly
        to do with sex, the author may append "ObSex" (or "Obsex") and
        toss off a question or vignette about some unusual erotic act.
        It is considered a sign of great winnitude when one's Obs
        are more interesting than other people's whole postings.
     
        [Jargon File]