Lewis Short
ob-sto | obstantia, ĭum (noun N) : (obstaturus, Front. Aquaed. 123; Quint. 2, 11, 1; Stat. Th. 7, 247;
* Gen. plur. obstantum, Sil. 5, 277), 1, v. n., to stand before or against any thing.
* In gen. (very rare): soli luna obstitit, Enn. ap. Cic. Rep. 1, 16, 25 (Ann. v. 167 Vahl.); cf.: montibus obstipis obstantibus, id. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 193 Müll. (Ann. v. 407 ib.): dominae niveis a vultibus obstas,Stat. S. 1, 2, 23; so, summis a postibus,id. Th. 4, 17: obviam,to stand in the way,Plaut. Stich. 2, 1, 14.
* In partic., to stand against or in the way of a person or thing; to withstand, thwart, hinder, oppose, obstruct (the class. signif. of the word; syn.: obsisto, adversor, officio).—Constr. with dat., absol., with quin, quominus, cur, or ne.
* With dat.: quae tardis mora noctibus obstet,Verg. A. 1, 746: alicui,Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 6: cur mihi te offers ac meis commodis officis et obstas? Cic. Rosc. Am. 38, 112; cf. id. ib. 2, 6: vita cetera eorum huic sceleri obstat,their former life stands opposed to this crime, secures them against the suspicion of this crime,Sall. C. 52, 31: di omnes quibus obstitit Ilium,was an offence to,Verg. A. 6, 64: nam sic labentibus (aedibus) obstat vilicus,i. e. keeps from falling,Juv. 3, 194; cf. v. 243.—For the dat. in with acc. is found: in laudem vetustorum invidia non obstat,Sen. Ben. 7, 8, 2.
* Absol.: me obstare, illos obsequi, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 31, 66: restitant, occurrunt, obstant, id. ap. Non. 147, 9 (Sat. v. 5 ib.): obstando magis quam pugnando castra tutabantur,Liv. 40 25: exercitus hostium duo obstant,block up the way,Sall. C. 58, 6; Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 15: si omnia removentur, quae obstant et impediunt,Cic. Ac. 2, 7, 19.
* With quin: quibus non humana ulla, neque divina obstant, quin socios amicos trahant, exscindant,Sall. H. 4, 61, 17 Dietsch.
* With quominus: quid obstat, quominus sit beatus?Cic. N. D. 1, 34, 95: ne quid divini humanive obstet, quominus justum piumque de integro ineatur bellum,Liv. 9, 8, 6.—(ε) With cur: quid obstat, cur non (verae nuptiae) fiant?Ter. And. 1, 1, 76.— (ζ) With ne: Histiaeus Milesius, ne res conficeretur, obstitit,Nep. Milt. 3, 5: cum ibi quoque religio obstaret, ne non posset nisi ab consule dici dictator,Liv. 4, 31, 4: ne id, quod placebat, decerneret in tantae nobilitatis viris, ambitio obstabat,id. 5, 36, 9.
* Impers. pass.: nec, si non obstatur, propterea etiam permittitur,Cic. Phil. 13, 6, 14: indignatur amans Obstari animae,Ov. M. 11, 788.
* Part. pres. in plur. as subst.: , , n.: obstantia silvarum amoliri,hinderances, obstructions,Tac. A. 1, 50.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary