gridlock
[ grid-lok ]
/ ˈgrɪdˌlɒk /
noun
the stoppage of free vehicular movement in an urban area because key intersections are blocked by traffic.
the blocking of an intersection by vehicular traffic entering the intersection but unable to pass through it.
any situation in which nothing can move or proceed in any direction: a financial gridlock due to high interest rates.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
griddlecake, gride, gridiron, gridiron pendulum, gridiron-tailed lizard, gridlock, grief, grief-stricken, griefer, griefo, grieg
Related formsgrid·locked, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for gridlock
British Dictionary definitions for gridlock
gridlock
/ (ˈɡrɪdˌlɒk) mainly US /
noun
obstruction of urban traffic caused by queues of vehicles forming across junctions and causing further queues to form in the intersecting streets
a point in a dispute at which no agreement can be reached; deadlockpolitical gridlock
verb
(tr) (of traffic) to block or obstruct (an area)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for gridlock
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper