obstruction
UK[əbˈstrʌkʃn]US[əbˈstrʌkʃn]
n
the action of blocking or obstructing something, or the state of being blocked or obstructed.
n
a thing that blocks or obstructs a passage, road, process, etc.
Morpheme Breakdown
ob
struct
ion
ob
against
struct
to build
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'obstruction' is built upon the latin verb 'struere', meaning 'to build' or 'to pile up'. with the addition of the prefix 'ob-', meaning 'against' or 'in front of', the combined form 'obstruere' took on the sense of 'to build against', 'to block up', or 'to barricade'. the noun-forming suffix '-ion' was then appended to create a term for the action or result of this blocking. thus, the literal concept of 'building against' evolved into the modern abstract meanings of any action or object that causes an impediment or blockage.
Analysis
Structure: ob (against) + struct (to build) + ion (noun suffix)
ob- (latin prefix, meaning 'against', 'in the way'); struct (latin root, from 'struere', meaning 'to build', 'to pile up'); -ion (latin suffix, forming nouns denoting an action or its result).
Examples
the fallen tree caused a complete obstruction of the highway.
they were charged with obstruction of justice for withholding evidence.
a bowel obstruction is a serious medical condition requiring immediate attention.