Definition of "observer" []

• One that observes: an observer of local customs; observers of religious holidays. (noun)
• A delegate sent to observe and report on the proceedings of an assembly or a meeting but not vote or otherwise participate. (noun)
• A crew member on a military aircraft who makes observations. (noun)
• A member of an armed force who watches and reports from an observation post. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Typically we will pretend the observer is a person, though it could of course be a scientific apparatus as well."
• "As an observer from the US, it is a privilege to watch these women grow and stretch."
• "Becoming aware of oneself as observer is the death of observation."