occlude

American  

[uh-klood] / əˈklud /

verb (used with object)

occluded, occluding

1. to close, shut, or stop up (a passage, opening, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   plug, block, clog, obstruct

2. to shut in, out, or off.

3. Physical Chemistry. (of certain metals and other solids) to incorporate (gases and other foreign substances), as by absorption or adsorption.

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verb (used without object)

occluded, occluding

1. Dentistry. to shut or close, with the cusps of the opposing teeth of the upper and lower jaws fitting together.

2. Meteorology. to form an occluded front.

occlude British  

/ əˈkluːd /

verb

1. (tr) to block or stop up (a passage or opening); obstruct

2. (tr) to prevent the passage of

3. (tr) chem (of a solid) to incorporate (a substance) by absorption or adsorption

4. meteorol to form or cause to form an occluded front

5. dentistry to produce or cause to produce occlusion, as in chewing

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occlude Scientific  

/ ə-klo̅o̅d′ /

1. To force air upward from the Earth's surface, as when a cold front overtakes and undercuts a warm front.

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Other Word Forms

• occludent adjective
• unoccluded adjective

Etymology

Origin of occlude

1590–1600; < Latin occlūdere to shut up, close up, equivalent to oc- oc- + -clūdere, combining form of claudere to close

Example Sentences

To improve this, Dr Alexander suggests reducing headphone use time and using the transparency mode which can amplify the background noise as well as wearing headphones that don't completely occlude or block the ears.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2025

It would lead to voter confusion, especially since clerks would inevitably place some stickers a few centimeters off by accident, failing to fully occlude Kennedy’s name and accidentally blocking out another.

From Slate • Sep. 24, 2024

If clouds conspire to occlude your view, don’t fret: there are lots of sites where you can watch online.

From Scientific American • Aug. 11, 2023

Tech companies rely on the myth of technological inevitability to occlude the business decisions they have made and the possibility of other models.

From The Guardian • Oct. 9, 2019

A number of complicated branched sensory processes grow into and nearly occlude the cavity, forming a kind of sieve with only narrow chinks through which the ingoing current passes.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 8 "Cube" to "Daguerre, Louis" by Various