blockage

noun

block·​age ˈblä-kij 

: an act or instance of obstructing : the state of being blocked

a blockage in a coronary artery

Examples of blockage in a Sentence

He had surgery to open up blockages in his arteries.

trying to prevent blockage of the artery

Recent Examples on the Web

This urine build-up can cause an infection or other complications, Golan said, adding that removing the prostate can prevent these blockages from happening. —David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024

Its purpose is to find problems such as pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in your lungs), stenosis (narrowed blood vessels), or other blockages in these blood vessels. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 25 Dec. 2024

This fat can travel to the lungs and cause blockage, or a fat embolism, preventing the body from getting oxygen.10 Compartment syndrome: This condition develops when pressure builds up to dangerous levels within the muscles. —Maggie Aime, Msn, Health, 25 Dec. 2024

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: A type of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that involves blockages of blood flow from the heart. —Elizabeth Millard, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age ˈbläk-ij 

: an act or instance of blocking : the state of being blocked

a blockage in an artery

Medical Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age ˈbläk-ij 

: the action of blocking or the state of being blocked: as

a

: blockade sense 2

b

: internal resistance to understanding a communicated idea, to learning new material, or to adopting a new mode of response because of existing habitual ways of thinking, perceiving, and acting compare blocking

Legal Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age

: the condition of a large block of items of property (as shares of stock) that requires special valuation for purposes of estate and gift tax because the value of the items sold as a block differs from their value if sold individually