roadblock
UK[ˈrəʊdblɒk]US[ˈroʊdblɑːk]
n
A barrier or obstruction placed across a road to stop or slow traffic, especially as set up by the police or military.
n
An obstacle or hindrance to progress.
Morpheme Breakdown
road
block
road
path
block
obstruction
Etymology
The word 'roadblock' is a transparent compound formed within Modern English from two native elements. 'Road' evolved from the Old English rād, which originally meant "a riding, a journey," and later generalized to the path itself. 'Block' entered English via French from a Germanic root meaning a substantial, obstructive mass, like a log or chunk of wood. The compound logically and literally describes a block placed on a road. Its meaning extended metaphorically in the 20th century to describe any significant obstacle hindering progress, mirroring the physical impediment of its original sense.
Analysis
Structure: road (path) + block (obstruction)
- road: From Old English rād (a riding, journey on horseback), later a path for traveling. Functional role: The base noun specifying the location.
- block: From Middle English blok, from Old French bloc, of Germanic origin, meaning a log or solid piece. Functional role: The base noun/verb specifying the action or object placed.
Examples
The police set up a roadblock to catch the fleeing suspects.
A lack of funding became a major roadblock to the research project.
They encountered a roadblock on the highway due to construction.