/ əbˈstrʌkʃn; NAmE / noun
1.
[ U , C ] the fact of trying to prevent sth/sb from making progress :
the obstruction of justice
He was arrested for obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.
2.
[ U , C ] the fact of blocking a road, an entrance, a passage, etc. :
obstruction of the factory gates
The abandoned car was causing an obstruction.
3.
[ C ] something that blocks a road, an entrance, etc. :
It is my job to make sure that all pathways are clear of obstructions.
4.
[ C , U ] something that blocks a passage or tube in your body; a medical condition resulting from this
SYN blockage :
He had an operation to remove an obstruction in his throat.
bowel / intestinal obstruction
5.
[ U ] ( sport ) the offence of unfairly preventing a player of the other team from moving to get the ball
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent.: from Latin obstructio(n-) , from the verb obstruere , from ob- against + struere build, pile up.