obstruct

Obstruct is a verb meaning to block, hinder, or impede the movement of people or things, or the progress of a process. It can describe a physical barrier that prevents passage, a procedural delay, or any action that stops forward movement. The noun obstruction denotes the act, condition, or object that blocks or hinders.

Etymology: The term originates from Latin obstruere, formed from ob- "toward" and struere "to heap up or build." It entered English via Old French or directly from Latin, with the sense of blocking or barring.

Contexts: Physical obstruction occurs when an object or material blocks a channel or route, such as a fallen tree obstructing a road or a tumor obstructing a vessel. Medical usage distinguishes airway obstruction (breathing difficulty) and intestinal or vascular obstruction. In law and policy, obstruction refers to acts that impede legal processes, most famously obstruction of justice, where an individual acts to impede an investigation or legal proceedings. In engineering and design, systems aim to minimize obstruction by improving flow and accessibility; in everyday language, people may say something obstructs progress or obstructs a view.

Obstruct is often contrasted with unblock or clear, and related adjectives include obstructive, meaning tending to block or causing obstruction.