I. im-ˈbär-(ˌ)gō noun
( plural -goes )
Etymology: Spanish, from embargar to bar, from Vulgar Latin * imbarricare, from Latin in- + Vulgar Latin * barra bar
Date: 1593
1. : an order of a government prohibiting the departure of commercial ships from its ports
2. : a legal prohibition on commerce
a trade embargo
3. : stoppage , impediment ; especially : prohibition
I lay no embargo on anybody's words — Jane Austen
4. : an order by a common carrier or public regulatory agency prohibiting or restricting freight transportation
II. transitive verb
( -goed ; -go·ing )
Date: 1755
: to place an embargo on