[Vocabulary] observe somebody

[hhtt21]

"He stood at the foot of the bed and observed her. She was pigtailed and freckled. “Are you comfortable?” he asked her."

Would you please explain the use of "observe" in this context?

Context: A doctor goes to a patient's room. He refers to the doctor and "she" to the "patient".

Source: https://books.google.com.tr/books?i.... “Are you comfortable?” he asked her&f=false by William Peter Blatty.

 

[Tarheel]

That's what doctors do. They observe their patients to see what they can learn that way. (The word observe means watch closely.)
:-|

 

[GoesStation]

Context: A doctor goes to a patient's room. "He" refers to the doctor and "she" to the patient [no quotation marks].

See above. Always highlight words you're writing about but which aren't otherwise part of your sentence with quotation marks or italics.

 

[hhtt21]

That's what doctors do. They observe their patients to see what they can learn that way. (The word observe means watch closely.)
:-|

Does this usage fit in belong to this definition?

to watch or study someone or something with care and attention in order to discover something

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/observe

But is this usage "British" or rather "British"?

 

[GoesStation]

Do you think the definition makes sense for the context?

I think if you click the link to the American English definition, you'll find it's the same.

 

[hhtt21]

Do you think the definition makes sense for the context?

Mostly yes, but I am not exactly sure of.

I think if you click the link to the American English definition, you'll find it's the same

I don't know how to do that. When I write "observe" in the box, the link I copied from MacMillan appears.

 

[GoesStation]

Mostly yes, but I am not exactly sure [STRIKE]of[/STRIKE].

I think if you click the link to the American English definition, you'll find it's the same.

I don't know how to do that. When I write "observe" in the box, the link I copied from MacMillan appears.

Scroll most of the way down the page you linked to and click on "View American English definition of observe".

 

[hhtt21]

Do you think the definition makes sense for the context?

Firstly I need to learn correctly. Do you imply that the definition I quoted does not fit well? I think it makes sense for the context, but it could also be baffling to me. The native speakers here can know this better.

to watch or study someone or something with care and attention in order to discover something

I think if you click the link to the American English definition, you'll find it's the same.

Secondly, do you imply American version of MacMillan could include a better definition -and it is a American novel- that can perfectly fit? I looked at the two versions but there is nothing different in this case.

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/british/observe

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/observe

 

[GoesStation]

Do you think the definition makes sense for the context?

I think if you click the link to the American English definition, you'll find it's the same.

Firstly I need to learn correctly. [STRIKE]Do you imply[/STRIKE] Are you implying that the definition I quoted does not fit well? I think it makes sense for the context, but it could also be baffling to me. The native speakers here [STRIKE]can[/STRIKE] might know this better.

Secondly, [STRIKE]Do you imply[/STRIKE] are you implying that the American version of MacMillan could include a better definition -and it is a American novel- that can perfectly fit? I looked at the two versions but there is nothing different in this case.

No, and no. I asked what you thought about the applicability of the definition; then I suggested that the American definition would be the same as the British one.