trabar

Trabar is a Spanish verb with several related senses, all linked to obstruction, fixation, or engagement. The core meaning is to impede or block something, either physically or figuratively. When used transitively, it can mean to block, hinder, or impede progress: las negociaciones se trabaron (the negotiations stalled). It can also refer to causing a mechanism to stop functioning: el motor se trabó (the engine jammed). In another sense, trabar means to fasten or secure with a bar or crosspiece: trabar una puerta (to bar the door) or trabar la compuerta (to lock with a crossbar).

Reflexively, trabar appears as trabar(se) to denote becoming blocked or jammed: la pieza se trabó, la conversación se trabó. The verb forms a variety of expressions in everyday speech.

The word is of Romance origin and has cognates in other languages, notably Portuguese travar y Galician trabar, reflecting a common semantic core. In Spanish, trabar is conjugated as a regular -ar verb, following standard endings for present, past, and subjunctive moods.

In summary, trabar covers physical obstruction, mechanical jamming, securing with a bar, and figurative hindrance, with usage that spans technical, legal, and colloquial contexts.