Lewis & Short

obvĭus, a, um, adj. [ob-via], in the way, so as to meet, meeting, to meet (class.).

  1. I. In gen.: si ille obvius ei futurus omnino non erat, had no expectation of meeting him, Cic. Mil. 18, 47: dare se obvium alicui, to meet a person, Liv. 1, 16: quo in loco inter se obvii fuissent, had met each other, Sall. J. 79, 4: libellus insidiarum ab obvio quodam porrectus, by one who met him, Suet. Caes. 81; cf. Quint. 10, 3, 29: cuicumque est obvia, whomsoever she meets, Juv. 6, 412: cui mater mediā sese tulit obvia silvā, met, Verg. A. 1, 314: obvia cui Camilla Occurrit, id. ib. 11, 498: esse in obvio alicui, to be in the way of or where one can meet another, Liv. 37, 23; so, with ellips. of dat.: Brutidius meus ad Martis fuit obvius aram, Juv. 10, 83: se gravissimis tempestatibus obvium ferre, Cic. Rep. 1, 4, 7: agmen obviorum, Suet. Calig. 13: obvii e diverso, Plin. 8, 50, 76, § 201.
    Of things: neque aranei tenvia fila Obvia sentimus, Lucr. 3, 384: simulacra nobis, id. 4, 37: obvias mihi litteras mittas, send to meet, Cic. Att. 6, 5, 1; cf. id. ib. 6, 4, 3: ultroque ferebant Obvia securis ubera lactis oves, offered, presented, Tib. 1, 3, 46: montes, qui obvii erant itineri adversariorum, which lay in their way, which they met or fell in with, Nep. Eum. 9: quaeque, Val. Fl. 3, 583: obvia flamina, Ov. M. 1, 528: obvius undis, up the stream, id. ib. 11, 138: obviaque hospitiis teneat frondentibus arbos, over against, opposite, Verg. G. 4, 24: aquilones, contrary, adverse, Tac. A. 2, 54: prona cadit lateque et cominus obvia frangens, every thing in its way, Cat. 64, 109.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. In a bad sense, as an enemy, against, to meet or encounter: si ingredienti cum armatā manu obvius fueris, Cic. Caecin. 27, 76: Jugurthae obvius procedit, Sall. J. 21, 1: obvii hostibus, id. ib. 50, 4: infestā subit obvius hastā, Verg. A. 10, 877.
    2. B. In a good sense.
      1. 1. Easy of access, affable, courteous (perh. not ante-Aug.): est enim obvius, et expositus, plenusque humanitate, Plin. Ep. 1, 10, 2.
      2. 2. Of inanim. and abstr. things, at hand, easy, ready, obvious: nec se obvias fuisse dicenti, sed conquisitas (figuras), Quint. 9, 3, 5: quidquid venerit obvium loquamur, Mart. 11, 7, 7: obvias opes deferre deos, Tac. A. 16, 2: comitas, id. ib. 2, 2: laudes, common, Gell. 5, 1, 1: obvia et illaborata virtus, easy, not difficult of attainment, Quint. 12, 2, 2: ex obvio fere victus (animalibus), id. 2, 16, 14.
      3. 3. Of words, in constant use, common: est vestibulum in sermonibus celebre atque obvium verbum, Macr. S. 6, 8, 15: municipes et municipia sunt verba dictu facilia et usu obvia, Gell. 16, 13, 1; 18, 12, 10; cf.: obvium est dicere dimidiā, id. 3, 14, 12.
      4. 4. Se dare obvium, to occur to one’s mind or memory: licet omnes (versus) praesens memoria non suggerat, tamen, qui se dederint obvios, annotabo, Macr. S. 5, 3, 1.
    3. C. Lying open, i. e. exposed, obnoxious to an evil (poet.): rupes Obvia ventorum furiis expostaque ponto, Verg. A. 10, 694: melioribus opto Auspiciis et quae fuerit minus obvia Graiis, id. ib. 3, 498: calvitium quoquoversus obvium, i. e. exposed to the air, App. M. 11, p. 273 fin.