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

Companies and organizations have faced a number of supply chain crises over the years, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 blockage of the Suez Canal by a cargo container ship, and the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. —Edward Segal, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024

Sampson is aging like there’s a blockage in the hourglass. —Cj Moore, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024

This transit also encourages us to confront illusions and emotional blockages while cultivating a deeper connection with our intuition and creativity. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024

Patrick had multiple, brief arrhythmias on the table as doctors worked to deal with the blockage in a major artery, Abdelaziz said. —Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 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