Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A barricade or obstruction across a road set up to prevent the escape or passage, as of a fugitive or enemy troops.
- n. An obstruction in a road, as fallen rocks or trees.
- n. Something, such as a situation or condition, that prevents further progress toward an accomplishment.
Wiktionary
- n. Something that blocks or obstructs a road.
- n. An obstacle or impediment.
- v. colloquial To prevent, hinder.
WordNet 3.0
- n. any condition that makes it difficult to make progress or to achieve an objective
- n. a barrier set up by police to stop traffic on a street or road in order to catch a fugitive or inspect traffic etc.
Etymologies
- From road + block. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Funnel enough money to Amtrak to repair the out-of-service cars (the main roadblock to increasing service right now).”
“Perhaps a more legitimate roadblock is doubt about the effectiveness of the flu vaccine.”
The Huffington Post: David Katz, M.D.: What to Do About Flu? Get Vaccinated
“One potential roadblock is the amount of equity required to complete a deal, estimated at up to $4 billion, said the people familiar with the matter.”
The Wall Street Journal: Seagate Buyout Talks Face Challenges
“But the real roadblock is in Brussels, where the European Parliament has unilaterally demanded that the administration renegotiate the E.U. - U.S. agreement on travel reservation data -- launching the fourth set of talks on this topic in seven years.”
“Another roadblock is that most of the incentives for clean energy development are structured as tax-credits, so most potential community organizations (including non-profits like churches and schools, Native American tribes, etc.) can't take advantage of them.”
“One major roadblock is Orascom's Algerian unit, Djezzy, which the Algerian government has prevented from being sold in the past.”
The Wall Street Journal: Emerging Telecoms in $6.5 Billion Deal
“One roadblock is hit after Jackson waxes nostalgic about famous friends.”
“Sometimes the way past a roadblock is not over it or through it, but to take a different route around it.”
Kristine Kathryn Rusch » Freelancer’s Survival Guide: Giving Up On Yourself Part One
“Republicans will be judged by the history as the main roadblock that stood before heath care reform until the very last moment. annie s”
“The decision is a long-term roadblock that indicates "less of a bright future for corn-based ethanol," said Michael Swanson, agricultural economist with Wells Fargo.”
The Wall Street Journal: Ethanol Standards Take Bite From Corn
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘roadblock’.
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Genes
Interesting gene names. Some of these may have changed recently (to something less offensive/funny).
http://www.genenames.org/
tinman, agnostic, dreadlocks, Van Gogh, fruitless, lava lamp, ariadne, cheap date, ken and barbie, I'm not dead yet, I'm not dead yet 2, manic fringe and 1192 more... -
WF - nominal compounds (figurative)
An extensive list I have been working on for quite some time. Feel free to add more of the kind if you miss any.
brainstorming, upside, downside, goldplating, bikeshedding, mudslinging, downgrading, headhunter, streamlining, mainstreaming, gerrymandering, frontloading and 503 more...
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Jamaican patois
"I and I plant the corn..."
i and i, rudeboy, ragamuffin, youth, dem, jamrock, jamden, fat 'matic, likkle, tuff, whe, inna and 132 more...
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The Spectacle
DISTRACT, STARE, CONSUME
(repeat)gongoozler, television, sporting events, blockbuster, alienation, situationist, technocapitalism, media extravaganza, sex scandal, hypnotic behavior, fantastic visions, prime time and 164 more...
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Spam Names
Interesting words that came to me in spam emails in the "From" field. Read in pairs by order added, add the initial of your choice, and you'll get a list of "names."
menominee, burbled, abrasives, barrister, unfortunates, strolls, appareled, uncles, removal, elusive, significance, described and 180 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for roadblock.
reesetee *looks away* Oct 17, 2007
uselessness I don't have a DVR, but I was cursing the CW last night for having commercials that were too short! I barely got my pants down in the bathroom before I heard the theme music come back on and CRAP I WAS MISSING FAMILY GUY!! Wait, what did I just confess to? Oct 17, 2007
chained_bear Thank god for DVR. Also, for the bathroom, which means I can ignore the bastards who somehow think I'm held captive to their insipid mind-numbing crapmercials. Oct 17, 2007
reesetee I swear I've seen it, though. Oct 16, 2007
uselessness When has this happened? Would be rather Twilight Zone-ish to be flipping through the channels and keep seeing the same thing... even if it is just trying to get you to buy a Nissan Rogue. Oct 16, 2007
john "An advertising roadblock is a media planning strategy where all networks air the same ad at the same time. No member of the audience one can get through without seeing the ad."
- Audience Analytics Oct 16, 2007