[syn: obstacle, obstruction]
4. the act of obstructing;
- Example: "obstruction of justice"
5. getting in someone's way;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Obstruction \Ob*struc"tion\, n. [L. obstructio.]
1. The act of obstructing, or state of being obstructed.
[1913 Webster]
2. That which obstructs or impedes; an obstacle; an
impediment; a hindrance.
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A popular assembly free from obstruction. --Swift.
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3. The condition of having the natural powers obstructed in
their usual course; the arrest of the vital functions;
death. [Poetic]
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To die, and go we know not where,
To lie in cold obstruction, and to rot. --Shak.
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Syn: Obstacle; bar; barrier; impediment; clog; check;
hindrance.
Usage: Obstruction, Obstacle. The difference between
these words is that indicated by their etymology; an
obstacle is something standing in the way; an
obstruction is something put in the way. Obstacle
implies more fixedness and is the stronger word. We
remove obstructions; we surmount obstacles.
[1913 Webster]
Disparity in age seems a greater obstacle to an
intimate friendship than inequality of fortune.
--Collier.
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The king expected to meet with all the
obstructions and difficulties his enraged
enemies could lay in his way. --Clarendon.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
obstruction
n 1: any structure that makes progress difficult [syn:
obstruction, obstructor, obstructer, impediment,
impedimenta]
2: the physical condition of blocking or filling a passage with
an obstruction [syn: obstruction, blockage]
3: something immaterial that stands in the way and must be
circumvented or surmounted; "lack of imagination is an
obstacle to one's advancement"; "the poverty of a district is
an obstacle to good education"; "the filibuster was a major
obstruction to the success of their plan" [syn: obstacle,
obstruction]
4: the act of obstructing; "obstruction of justice"
5: getting in someone's way