[W/K] :: Ob-

  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]