Question

obstacle

Accepted Answer

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionaryob·sta·cle \ˈäb-sti-kəl, -ˌsti-\ noun ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin obstaculum, from obstare to stand in front of, from ob- in the way + stare to stand — more at ob-, stand DATE 14th century: something that impedes progress or achievementEnglish Etymologyobstacle mid-14c., from O.Frhttp://O.Fr. ostacle "hindrance," from L. obstaculum "a hindrance, obstacle," from obstare "stand opposite to, block, hinder," from ob "against" + stare "to stand," from PIE base *sta-"to stand" (see stet). "The lover thinks more often of reaching his mistress than the husband of guarding his wife; the prisoner thinks more often of escaping than the gaoler of shutting his door; and so, whatever the obstacles may be, the lover and the prisoner ought to succeed." [Stendhal]Obstacle course is attested from 1973.Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7obstacleobs·tacle / 5CbstEkl; NAmE 5B:b- / noun1. ~ (to sth / to doing sth) a situation, an event, etc. that makes it difficult for you to do or achieve sth 障碍；阻碍；绊脚石 SYN hindrance : A lack of qualifications can be a major obstacle to finding a job. 学力不足可能成为谋职的主要障碍。 So far, we have managed to overcome all the obstacles that have been placed in our path. 至此,我们已设法排除了设置在道路上的一切障碍。 2. an object that is in your way and that makes it difficult for you to move forward 障碍物；绊脚石: The area was full of streams and bogs and other natural obstacles. 此地遍布小溪、泥潭和其他天然障碍。 3. (in showjumping 障碍赛马) a fence, etc. for a horse to jump over 障碍栅栏；障碍Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of EnglishOxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishobstacle noun ADJ. big, chief, main, major | enormous, formidable, serious The attitude of the unions is a serious obstacle. | impossible, insuperable, insurmountable Lack of money has proved an almost insurmountable obstacle. VERB + OBSTACLE pose, prove, remain | come across, encounter | overcome, remove, surmount He was determined to overcome all obstacles in his way. PREP. ~ for Lack of childcare provision can be a major obstacle for women wishing to work. | ~ to The huge distances involved have proved an obstacle to communication between villages. PHRASES an obstacle in the path/way (of sb/sth) The release of prisoners remains an obstacle in the path of a peace agreement. OLTobstacle noun⇨ obstacle (an obstacle to communication)⇨ barrier (an obstacle course)Webster's Third New International Dictionary, UnabridgedSearch result show the entry is found in: obstacle course , or obstacle senseob·sta·cleI. \ˈäbz(ˌ)tikəl, -_tə̇k-, -tēk-; ˈäb(ˌ)stik-, -_stə̇k-, -stēk-\ noun(-s)Usage: often attributiveEtymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin obstaculum, from obstare to stand before, hinder, from ob- to, against + stare to stand — more at ob-, stand1. : something that stands in the way or opposes : something that hinders progress : a physical or moral impediment or obstruction :hindrance2. obsolete : opposition, resistanceSynonyms: obstacle, obstruction, impediment, bar, and snag can signify, in common, something which hampers or stops action or progress. obstacle applies to anything which stands in one's way or stops passage < the removal of an obstacle in the throat — F.D.Smith & Barbara Wilcox > < the poverty of some of the … districts is an obstacle to good education — B.K.Sandwell > < those obstacles, placed in the path of westward-marching pioneers by nature, must be surmounted before the continent was settled — R.A.Billington > obstruction stresses a blocking of the way or passage < can only be used in straight stretches of water where there are no obstructions — W.H.Dowdeswell > < science deals with a psychological complex much as it deals with an obstruction in the bowels — Albert Dasnoy > < circumvent theobstructions placed in the way of emigration — American Guide Series: New York > impediment, often interchangeable with obstacle, usually suggests something that hinders or delays as by entangling < the rugged hills of the peninsula were no impediment to the discharge of his clerical duties — American Guide Series: Maine > < the most important impediment … to reform, perhaps, is the number and diversity of the plans which have been submitted as possible cures — R.M.Dawson > < the increasing impediments to international trade — D.W.Brogan > bar implies something interposed as between a person and his goal < there were, of course, no bars against immigration in those days — Paul Blanshard > < difference in language should be no bar to friendship > snag applies to an obstacle or a delay encountered suddenly and unexpectedly < his plan to build hit its first snag in the building code > < the operations were constantly running into legal snags which delayed progress considerably >II. adjectiveobsolete : obstinateIII. \pronunc at n\ transitive verb(-ed/-ing/-s)Etymology: obsolete French obstacler, from French obstacle, n., from Middle French: to resist or harass with obstacles

Obstacle From Stand Obstacle No Dictionary Noun To