Adjacent Words

Obstruct definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OBSTRUCT', v.t. [L. obstruo; ob and struo, to set.]
1. To block up; to stop up or close; as a way or passage; to fill with obstacles or impediments that prevent passing; as, to obstruct a road, highway or channel; to obstruct the canals or fine vessels of the body.
2. To stop; to impede; to hinder in passing; as, the bar at the mouth of the river obstructs the entrance of ships; clouds obstruct the light of the sun.
3. To retard; to interrupt; to render slow. Progress is often obstructed by difficulties, though not entirely stopped.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of; "His brother blocked him at every turn" [syn: obstruct, blockade, block, hinder, stymie, stymy, embarrass]
2: block passage through; "obstruct the path" [syn: obstruct, obturate, impede, occlude, jam, block, close up] [ant: disengage, free]
3: shut out from view or get in the way so as to hide from sight; "The thick curtain blocked the action on the stage"; "The trees obstruct my view of the mountains" [syn: obstruct, block]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Etymology: Latin obstructus, past participle of obstruere, from ob- in the way + struere to build, heap up — more at ob-, strew Date: 1590 1. to block or close up by an obstacle 2. to hinder from passage, action, or operation ; impede 3. to cut off from sight <a wall obstructs the view> Synonyms: see hinder • obstructive adjective or noun • obstructiveness noun • obstructor noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 block up; make hard or impossible to pass. 2 prevent or retard the progress of; impede. Derivatives: obstructor n. Etymology: L obstruere obstruct- (as OB-, struere build)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Obstruct Ob*struct", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Obstructed; p. pr. & vb. n. Obstructing.] [L. obstructus, p. p. of obstruere to build up before or against, to obstruct; ob (see Ob-) + struere to pile up. See Structure.] 1. To block up; to stop up or close, as a way or passage; to place an obstacle in, or fill with obstacles or impediments that prevent or hinder passing; as, to obstruct a street; to obstruct the channels of the body. 'T is the obstructed paths of sound shall clear. --Pope. 2. To be, or come, in the way of; to hinder from passing; to stop; to impede; to retard; as, the bar in the harbor obstructs the passage of ships; clouds obstruct the light of the sun; unwise rules obstruct legislation. ``Th' impatience of obstructed love.'' --Johnson. Syn: To bar; barricade; stop; arrest; check; interrupt; clog; choke; impede; retard; embarrass; oppose.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(obstructs, obstructing, obstructed) 1. If something obstructs a road or path, it blocks it, stopping people or vehicles getting past. Tractors and container lorries have completely obstructed the road. = block VERB: V n 2. To obstruct someone or something means to make it difficult for them to move forward by blocking their path. A number of local people have been arrested for trying to obstruct lorries loaded with logs... = block VERB: V n 3. To obstruct progress or a process means to prevent it from happening properly. The authorities are obstructing a United Nations investigation. VERB: V n 4. If someone or something obstructs your view, they are positioned between you and the thing you are trying to look at, stopping you from seeing it properly. Claire positioned herself so as not to obstruct David's line of sight. = block VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Close, bar, stop, choke, blockade, barricade, block up, dam up. 2. Hinder, impede, oppose, stop, prevent. 3. Retard, interrupt, check, clog, embarrass, arrest.

Moby Thesaurus

arrest, backpedal, backwater, bar, barricade, beat off, bind, block, block out, block up, blockade, bolt, brake, bung, caulk, check, chink, chock, choke, choke off, choke up, clip the wings, clog, clog up, close, close off, close tight, close up, confine, congest, constipate, constrict, cork, counter, cover, crowd, curb, dam, dam up, debar, decelerate, delay, detain, dog, drag, draw rein, drive back, ease off, ease up, fend, fend off, fill, fill up, forbid, foul, halt, hamper, hinder, hold at bay, hold back, hold in check, hold off, hold up, impede, interfere with, interrupt, jam, keep at bay, keep back, keep off, lag, let down, let up, lock, lose ground, lose momentum, lose speed, make late, moderate, obstipate, occlude, pack, parry, plug, plug up, preclude, prevent, prohibit, push back, put back, rebuff, reef, rein in, relax, repel, repulse, retard, set back, shroud, shut off, shut out, shut tight, slack off, slack up, slacken, slow, slow down, slow up, spile, squeeze, squeeze shut, stall, stanch, stave off, stay, stench, stifle, stop, stop up, stopper, stopple, strangle, strangulate, stuff, stuff up, suffocate, take in sail, throttle down, turn aside, ward off