occlude

American  

[uh-klood] / əˈklud /

verb (used with object)

occludes, present (3rd person singular) occluded, past participle, past occluding present participle

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)

occludes, present (3rd person singular) occluded, past participle, past occluding present participle

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

Derived Forms

• occludent
  adjective
• unoccluded
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• occluding
  present
• occluded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• occlude
  simple
• occludes
  simple
• have occluded
  perfect
• has occluded
  perfect
• am occluding
  progressive
• are occluding
  progressive
• is occluding
  progressive
• have been occluding
  perfect progressive
• has been occluding
  perfect progressive

Past

• occluded
  simple
• had occluded
  perfect
• was occluding
  progressive
• were occluding
  progressive
• had been occluding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will occlude
  simple
• will have occluded
  perfect
• will be occluding
  progressive
• will have been occluding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of occlude

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

Explanation

Occlude means to obstruct, as with an opening. You hear this a lot in a medical context. Heart surgeons are looking for occlusions in blood vessels — things that occlude the flow of blood. Occlude does not exist only in a medical context. If you close the bathroom door so your little brother won't come in while you're trying out makeup with your friends, you're occluding the bathroom. Meanwhile, your makeup occludes your pores.

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

Such clouds are why the star count methods failed: From almost any viewpoint in the galaxy, they would occlude your line of sight and produce the illusion of gazing out from near the center.

From Scientific American • Aug. 4, 2023

The series begins with these stereotypes, then works to reveal the humanity that the stereotypes occlude.

From New York Times • May 13, 2022

These colloid substances occlude the minute excretory ducts in liver, spleen, kidneys and other organs, interfering with their normal functions and causing the retention of morbid matter in the system.

From Nature Cure by Lindlahr, Henry