HURDLE

I. noun Etymology: Middle English hurdel, from Old English hyrdel; akin to Old High German hurt ~, Latin cratis wickerwork, ~ Date: before 12th century 1. a portable panel usually of wattled withes and stakes used especially for enclosing land or livestock, a frame or sled formerly used in England for dragging traitors to execution, 2. an artificial barrier over which racers must leap, any of various track events in which a series of ~s must be surmounted, barrier , obstacle , II. transitive verb (~d; hurdling) Date: 1896 to leap over especially while running (as in a sporting competition), overcome , surmount , ~r noun