Lewis & Short

ob-vĭam (also written separate, ob vĭam; cf. Corss. Ausspr. I. 495, 769), adv.

  1. I. Lit., in the way; hence, with verbs of motion (in a good or bad sense), towards, against, to meet: ob Trojam duxit exercitum pro ad, similiterque vadimonium obisse, id est ad vadimonium isse, et obviam ad viam, Paul. ex Fest. p. 147 Müll.: morti occumbant obviam, Enn. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 2, 62 (Ann. v. 176 Vahl.): nec quisquam tam audax fuat homo, qui obviam obsistat mihi, as to put himself in my way, Plaut. Am. 3, 4, 2: cum in Cumanum mihi obviam venisti, Cic. Fam. 2, 16, 3: prodire, id. ib. 3, 7, 4; cf.: si quā ex parte obviam contra veniretur, an advance or attack should be made, Caes. B. G. 7, 28: alicui obviam advenire, C. Gracch. ap. Gell. 10, 3, 5: quem quaero, optime ecce obviam mihi est, is coming to meet me, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 16: fit obviam Clodio ante fundum ejus, meets, Cic. Mil. 10, 29: obviam ire alicui, to go to meet, id. Mur. 32, 67 et saep.: obviam procedere alicui, to go to meet, id. Phil. 2, 32, 78: prodire alicui, id. ib. 2, 24, 58: properare, id. Fam. 14, 5, 2: proficisci, Caes. B. G. 7, 12: exire, id. B. C. 1, 18: progredi, Liv. 7, 10: mittere, to send to meet, Cic. Fam. 3, 7, 4: se offerre, to go to meet, to meet, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 24: effundi, to pour out to meet, to go in great numbers to meet, Liv. 5, 23: de obviam itione ita faciam, Cic. Att. 11, 16, 1; late Lat., also, in obviam: ecce exercitus in obviam illis, Vulg. 1 Macc. 16, 5.
  2. II. Trop., at hand, within reach: nec sycophantiis, nec fucis ullum mantellum obviam est, Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 6: in comitio estote obviam, id. Poen. 3, 6, 12: tibi nulla aegritudo est animo obviam, id. Stich. 4, 1, 16: amanti mihi tot obviam eveniunt morae, present themselves, interpose, id. Cas. 3, 4, 28: ire periculis, to meet courageously, to encounter them, Sall. J. 7, 4: cupiditati hominum obviam ire, to resist, oppose, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 4, § 106; so, ire superbiae nobilitatis, Sall. J. 5, 1: ire sceleri, id. ib. 22, 3: ire injuriae, id. ib. 14, 25: ire irae, Liv. 9, 14: ire fraudibus, Tac. A. 6, 16: crimini, Liv. 9, 26.
    Also, in a good sense, to meet an evil, i. e. to remedy, prevent it: ni Caesar obviam isset, tribuendo pecunias pro modo detrimenti, Tac. A. 4, 64: infecunditati terrarum, id. ib. 4, 6: timori, id. H. 4, 46: dedecori, id. A. 13, 5.