occlude

verb

oc·​clude ə-ˈklüd How to pronounce occlude (audio)
ä-
occluded; occluding

transitive verb

1
: to close up or block off : obstruct
a thrombus occluding a coronary artery
also : conceal
cosmetics that occlude pores
2
: sorb
Palladium occludes large volumes of hydrogen.

intransitive verb

1
: to come into contact with cusps of the opposing teeth fitting together
His teeth do not occlude properly.
2
: to become occluded

Examples of occlude in a Sentence

a blood clot had occluded a major artery in his body
Recent Examples on the Web Also, according to Ashanti Woods, MD, a pediatrician with Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, a baby's airway can be occluded or blocked when their chin comes in contact with their chest due to gravity. Christin Perry, Parents, 31 Jan. 2024 The ability to occlude the thumb is the key to the magic trick, so the thumb must be opposable. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 4 Apr. 2023 But while their mouths may be smaller than wolves, their palates remain relatively large, which means that even mouth breathing is partly occluded. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2023 In front of an audience, the words shriek and occlude, like a closet full of bats that has unfortunately been opened. Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023 Even grief itself seems to be occluded or numbed by screen life, which retains the same quality of distortion, confusion and repetition. Dionne Brand Anne Boyer, New York Times, 29 June 2023 From the gallery, our view of him was similarly occluded. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023 Still, these were sudden, cataclysmic events—sheets of flame, boiling rivers, melting buildings—and thus easily mythologized; their origins were occluded by fear, wonder, and the conviction that fire was God’s cleansing punishment. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023 The modest pressure occludes veins that drain the muscle, but does not occlude the artery that feeds it. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 12 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'occlude.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin occludere, from ob- in the way + claudere to shut, close — more at close entry 1

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of occlude was in 1581

Dictionary Entries Near occlude

Cite this Entry

“Occlude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occlude. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

occlude

verb
oc·​clude ə-ˈklüd How to pronounce occlude (audio)
ä-
occluded; occluding
1
: to close up or block off
2
: to take up and hold by absorption or adsorption
3
: to come together with opposing surfaces in contact
the teeth do not occlude properly

Medical Definition

occlude

verb
oc·​clude ə-ˈklüd, ä- How to pronounce occlude (audio)
occluded; occluding

transitive verb

1
: to close up or block off : obstruct
a thrombus occluding a coronary artery
2
: to bring (upper and lower teeth) into occlusion
3
: to take in and retain (a substance) in the interior rather than on an external surface : sorb
proteins in precipitating may occlude alcohol

intransitive verb

1
: to come into contact with cusps of the opposing teeth fitting together
his teeth do not occlude properly
2
: to become occluded
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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