Hinderaunce

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An obstacle or impediment that slows down, blocks, or gets in the way of progress or action
2. Something that holds back movement, activity, or development, acting as a barrier to what someone wants to do
3. A burden or check on an action or undertaking, making it harder to carry out or complete successfully

Etymology: Hinderaunce is an older English word meaning something that holds back or obstructs, and it is a close relative of "hinder" and "hindrance." Its history runs through the Middle English "hinderaunce," formed from "hinder" with the suffix "-aunce," which came into English from Old French as a way of making nouns from verbs, much as "-ance" does in "allowance" or "utterance." The verb "hinder" goes back to Old English "hindrian," meaning to keep back or check, and it is related to "hinder" in the sense of the rear, the part behind. The idea was of something that holds a person back from going forward. The "-aunce" ending is a variant of the more familiar "-ance," so "hinderaunce" is a noun built on the same pattern as "hindrance," which replaced it in common use.

Synonyms: hindrance, obstacle, impediment, obstruction, barrier

Antonyms: help, aid, assistance