obelize

English

Alternative forms

• obelise

Etymology

From Hellenic Ancient Greek ὀβελίζειν (obelízein), from ὀβελός (obelós, “obelus”).

Verb

obelize (third-person singular simple present obelizes, present participle obelizing, simple past and past participle obelized)

1. To mark (a written or printed passage) with an obelus; to judge as spurious or doubtful. [from 17th c.]
   • 2015, James Davidson, “Laugh as long as you can”, in London Review of Books, volume 37, number 14:

     All modern classicists like to display due caution before coming to a conclusion and will reluctantly obelise any words in a manuscript that resist obvious emendation before deciding that on balance one version is better than another.

References

• “Obelize, v.” listed on page 12 of volume VII (O–P), § i (O) of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [1st ed., 1909]
• “obelize, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd ed., 1989]
• “obelize, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [3rd ed., March 2004]