Obstruction

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ob=struc=tion

CIDE DICTIONARY

Obstruction, n. [L. obstructio.].

•  The act of obstructing, or state of being obstructed.  [1913 Webster]
•  That which obstructs or impedes; an obstacle; an impediment; a hindrance.  [1913 Webster]

  "A popular assembly free from obstruction."  [1913 Webster]
•  The condition of having the natural powers obstructed in their usual course; the arrest of the vital functions; death.  [1913 Webster]

  "To die, and go we know not where,
  To lie in cold obstruction, and to rot."  [1913 Webster]

  "Disparity in age seems a greater obstacle to an intimate friendship than inequality of fortune."  [1913 Webster]

  "The king expected to meet with all the obstructions and difficulties his enraged enemies could lay in his way."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Obstacle; bar; barrier; impediment; clog; check; hindrance.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Obstruction, n.
1 the act or an instance of blocking; the state of being blocked.
2 the act of making or the state of becoming more or less impassable.
3 an obstacle or blockage.
4 the retarding of progress by deliberate delays, esp. of Parliamentary business.
5 Sport the act of unlawfully obstructing another player.
6 Med. a blockage in a bodily passage, esp. in an intestine.

Derivative

obstructionism n. (in sense 4). obstructionist n. (in sense 4).

Etymology

L obstructio (as OBSTRUCT)

THESAURUS

Obstruction

afterthought, arrest, arrestation, arrestment, bar, barrier, bind, blank wall, blind alley, blind gut, block, blockade, blockage, blocking, bottleneck, bureaucratic delay, catch, cecum, cessation, check, checking, choking, choking off, clog, clogging, closing up, closure, congestion, constipation, constraint, constriction, cordon, costiveness, cramp, cul-de-sac, curtain, dead end, deceleration, delay, delayage, delayed reaction, detainment, detention, determent, deterrent, difficulty, double take, drag, dragging, drawback, ease-off, ease-up, embolism, embolus, fixation, flagging, foot-dragging, forbiddance, forbidding, gorge, halt, halting, hamper, hampering, hang-up, hazard, hindering, hindrance, hitch, holdback, holdup, hurdle, impasse, impediment, impeding, infarct, infarction, inhibition, interference, interim, interruption, jam, joker, lag, lagging, let, letdown, letup, limitation, limiting, logjam, minus acceleration, moratorium, mountain, negativism, nuisance value, objection, obstacle, obstipation, obstructionism, obstructive, occlusion, one small difficulty, opposition, paperasserie, pause, proscription, red tape, red-tapeism, red-tapery, repression, reprieve, resistance, respite, restraint, restriction, retardance, retardation, retardment, rub, sealing off, setback, slack-up, slackening, slow-up, slowdown, slowing, slowing down, slowness, slowup, snag, squeeze, stay, stay of execution, stop, stoppage, stopping, stranglehold, strangulation, stricture, stumbling block, stumbling stone, suppression, suspension, tie-up, time lag, wait

ROGET THESAURUS

Obstruction

Hindrance

N hindrance, prevention, preclusion, obstruction, stoppage, embolus, embolism, infarct, interruption, interception, interclusion, hindrance, impedition, retardment, retardation, embarrassment, oppilation, coarctation, stricture, restriction, restraint, inhibition, blockade, interference, interposition, obtrusion, discouragement, discountenance, impediment, let, obstacle, obstruction, knot, knag, check, hitch, contretemps, screw loose, grit in the oil, bar, stile, barrier, turnstile, turnpike, gate, portcullis, beaver dam, trocha, barricade, wall, dead wall, sea wall, levee breakwater, groyne, bulkhead, block, buffer, stopper, boom, dam, weir, burrock, drawback, objection, stumbling-block, stumbling-stone, lion in the path, snag, snags and sawyers, encumbrance, incumbrance, clog, skid, shoe, spoke, drag, drag chain, drag weight, stay, stop, preventive, prophylactic, load, burden, fardel, onus, millstone round one's neck, impedimenta, dead weight, lumber, pack, nightmare, Ephialtes, incubus, old man of the sea, remora, difficulty, insuperable, obstacle, estoppel, ill wind, head wind, trammel, tether, hold back, counterpoise, damper, wet blanket, hinderer, marplot, killjoy, party pooper, party crasher, interloper, trail of a red herring, opponent, hindering, obstructive, obstruent, impeditive, impedient, intercipient, prophylactic, impedimentary, in the way of, unfavorable, onerous, burdensome, cumbrous, cumbersome, obtrusive, hindered, windbound, waterlogged, heavy laden, hard pressed, unassisted &c (assist), single-handed, alone, deserted, occurrent nubes, hindrance, prevention, preclusion, obstruction, stoppage, embolus, embolism, infarct, interruption, interception, interclusion, hindrance, impedition, retardment, retardation, embarrassment, oppilation, coarctation, stricture, restriction, restraint, inhibition, blockade, interference, interposition, obtrusion, discouragement, discountenance, impediment, let, obstacle, obstruction, knot, knag, check, hitch, contretemps, screw loose, grit in the oil, bar, stile, barrier, turnstile, turnpike, gate, portcullis, beaver dam, trocha, barricade, wall, dead wall, sea wall, levee breakwater, groyne, bulkhead, block, buffer, stopper, boom, dam, weir, burrock, drawback, objection, stumbling-block, stumbling-stone, lion in the path, snag, snags and sawyers, encumbrance, incumbrance, clog, skid, shoe, spoke, drag, drag chain, drag weight, stay, stop, preventive, prophylactic, load, burden, fardel, onus, millstone round one's neck, impedimenta, dead weight, lumber, pack, nightmare, Ephialtes, incubus, old man of the sea, remora, difficulty, insuperable, obstacle, estoppel, ill wind, head wind, trammel, tether, hold back, counterpoise, damper, wet blanket, hinderer, marplot, killjoy, party pooper, party crasher, interloper, trail of a red herring, opponent, hindering, obstructive, obstruent, impeditive, impedient, intercipient, prophylactic, impedimentary, in the way of, unfavorable, onerous, burdensome, cumbrous, cumbersome, obtrusive, hindered, windbound, waterlogged, heavy laden, hard pressed, unassisted &c (assist), single-handed, alone, deserted, occurrent nubes.

Closure

N closure, occlusion, blockade, shutting up, obstruction, embolus, contraction, infarction, constipation, obstipation, blind alley, blind corner, keddah, cul-de-sac, caecum, imperforation, imperviousness, impermeability, stopper, closed, shut, operculated, unopened, unpierced, imporous, caecal, closable, imperforate, impervious, impermeable, impenetrable, impassable, unpassable, invious, pathless, wayless, untrodden, untrod, unventilated, air tight, water tight, hermetically sealed, tight, snug.