obstruction

UK/əbˈstɹʌk.ʃən/

nounB2Common in everyday speech and writing · #5,424 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: obstructions

An obstruction is something that blocks the way, or the blocking itself. Clear the obstruction, an obstruction on the line, obstruction of justice.

In medicine a bowel obstruction is an emergency. In law, obstruction of justice is a crime in its own right, separate from whatever was being hidden, which is why it so often ends up being the charge that sticks.

Definitions of obstruction

1nounobstructionSomething that blocks the way, or the blocking itself.B2
“A fallen tree caused an obstruction on the railway line, and all trains were delayed.”

obstruction is a blocking.

Where it comes from

Latin obstructio comes from obstruere, to build against — ob, against, plus struere, to build.

Proto-Indo-European
*strew-
Latin
obstructio — hindrance
English, today
obstruction

Built from

obstruo · Latin — build against, block, stop

From Latin obstructio (“hindrance”), from obstruo (“build against, block, stop”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

obstruction in the wild

In small bowel obstruction about 25% require surgery.
Bowel obstruction
About 3.2 million cases of bowel obstruction occurred in 2015, which resulted in 264,000 deaths.
Bowel obstruction
Sudden obstruction in the outflow of urine may lead to severe flank pain, while an obstruction that forms slowly may cause little or no pain.
Hydronephrosis
Treatment focuses on removing the obstruction and may include anything from observation to catheter placement or surgery.
Hydronephrosis
Volume II of the report addresses obstruction of justice.
Mueller report

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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