noun
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the act of blocking or state of being blocked
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an object causing an obstruction
Etymology
Origin of blockage
Explanation
Something that physically obstructs or blocks an opening or tube is a blockage. A blockage in your sink drain can make it overflow. There are two main kinds of blockages — the first affects your plumbing, impeding water from flowing through your pipes. The other type of blockage is a medical condition, affecting your circulatory system. The blockage in your uncle's arteries might mean he needs surgery. The noun blockage, from about 1827, comes from block, "solid piece," from the Old French bloc, "block of wood."
Vocabulary lists containing blockage
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -age
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-age, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas uses the crucial waterway whose blockage has send prices soaring.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
According to the report, Brendon also had a “markedly enlarged heart,” “moderate” blockage in some of his left arteries and small bowel inflammation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
“In a way, therefore, the U.S. has become indispensable in filling the supply gap created by Iran’s blockage of the Strait.”
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
And analysts are warning the supply crunch stemming from the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz will last months, if not a year or more—longer than the closure of the Middle Eastern waterway itself.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
They clatter and scatter, creating a terrible blockage and commotion.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
