Obstinately. Persevering. The two armies fought so obstinately, that night only could separate the combatants.
OBSTINEMENT, Fr. Obstinately. Stubbornly, inflexibly, with unshaken determination.
S’obstiner, Fr. to persist in any thing.
OBSTRUCTION, any difficulty or impediment, opposing the operations of an army, &c.
OBTUS, Fr. Obtuse.
Angle Obtus, Fr. Obtuse angle.
OBTUSANGULAR, having angles larger than right angles.
OBUS, Fr. Hobits. Howitzer. A species of small mortar, resembling a mortar in every thing but the carriage, which is made in the form of that belonging to a gun, only shorter. It has been frequently used at sieges; and is well calculated to sweep the covert way, and to fire ricochet shots. They were usually loaded with cartouches. Belidor writes upon the subject at some length in his Bombardier Francois, page 39. See [Howitzer].
OCCASIO, L., Opportunity, among the Romans, an allegorical divinity, the goddess of time, who presides over the most favorable moment for success in any enterprise. She is represented stark naked, with a long lock of hair upon her forehead, and bald behind. And also standing on a wheel, with wings on her feet, and is said to turn herself very swiftly round; by which is intimated, that we should lay hold of the present opportunity. Among modern nations no people pay greater attention to the instruction which is conveyed by this allegory than the French do. It is common among them to say:—L’occasion est chauve. Occasion or opportunity is bald—Alluding to the Roman allegory; and in the same figure, il faut prendre l’occasion par les cheveux. You must seize time (by which is meant occasion or opportunity) by the forelock; meaning the forelock of hair alluded to.
OCCASION, Fr. has the same signification, in military matters, that affair bears among the French.