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

Except when cellular service is sparse ... Say, in an area that's highly prone to landslides and road blockages, or where passes frequently need to be shut down due to snow in the colder months. —New Atlas, 24 Dec. 2024

But when they're swallowed, those beads quickly expand to many times their original size, causing bowel blockages. —Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Dec. 2024

Someone that has a blockage in the gland, that’s not the case. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 21 Dec. 2024

Pay special attention to any downspouts to ensure that the snow doesn't create a blockage in your gutter system. —Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 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