blockage

noun

block·age | \ˈblä-kij

Definition of blockage

: 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

Within the gyroscope is a wheel spinning rapidly inside a sealed cylinder, and some blockage in the fluid around this cylinder appeared to be causing erroneously high spin rates. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "NASA brings a Hubble gyro back to life after a seven-year hibernation," 22 Oct. 2018 Best for those with normal to dry skin, cleansing brushes help to give skin a deeper clean and exfoliation so those with congested pores have a better chance of clearing them out and removing blockages. — Molly Nover-baker, Redbook, "How to Get Rid of Annoying Acne, So You Don't Have to Feel Like a Miserable Teenager," 27 Dec. 2016 Tubal Occlusion Also known as a tubal blockage, tubal occlusion is when an ovulated egg is unable to be fertilized by sperm or to reach the endometrial cavity or uterus. — Jennifer Gerson, Marie Claire, "Why Can't I Get Pregnant?," 1 Oct. 2018 Unlike heart attacks, generally caused by a blockage of blood flow, heart failure is typically a problem with the pumping of blood. — Sumathi Reddy, WSJ, "A Troubling Rise in Pregnancy-Related Heart Problems," 13 Aug. 2018 In February the firm received approval from regulators in the United States to sell its software for the detection, from brain scans, of strokes caused by a blockage in a large blood vessel. — The Economist, "Artificial intelligence will improve medical treatments," 7 June 2018 One can be caused by a brain bleed and the other by an arterial blockage. — George Parry, Philly.com, "I had a stroke. Don't do what I did if the same thing happens to you.," 1 June 2018 The pressure from the water should break up the blockage. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, Woman's Day, "The Best Way to Unclog a Drain," 29 Mar. 2017 High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, and three months ago, Johnson needed surgery for two blockages in her heart. — CBS News, "Most African-Americans develop high blood pressure by age 55, study finds," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blockage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

15 Dec 2018

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Time Traveler for blockage

The first known use of blockage was in 1759

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More Definitions for blockage

blockage

noun

English Language Learners Definition of blockage

: something that stops something (such as blood) from moving through something (such as a blood vessel)

: the state of being blocked

See the full definition for blockage in the English Language Learners Dictionary

blockage

noun

block·age | \ˈbläk-ij

Medical Definition of blockage

: 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

blockage

noun

block·age

Legal Definition of blockage

: 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