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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Woodpeckers have multiple adaptations for protecting their brains from injury, but occluding their jugular veins is not one of them. Christie Aschwanden, WIRED, 2 Oct. 2019 But none is delivered because the bulging (exercising) muscle occludes the artery. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 11 July 2024 Robots need to have a memory of previously observed, but currently occluded objects to work reliably in realistic environments. Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 17 May 2024 Now the blackness has reached its apex, occluding all but a sliver of light. Jennifer Homans, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for occlude 

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 10 Nov. 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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