Roadblocking

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The process of impeding or stopping movement along a pathway involves creating obstacles to control access or routes
2. The action of hindering progress on a thoroughfare can include blocking routes to manage or divert traffic effectively
3. The act of stopping or obstructing travel along a street or pathway by placing barriers

Etymology: Roadblocking is an inflected form, the present participle and gerund of the verb "roadblock," so its history is that of the verb. A roadblock is a compound of "road" and "block." "Road" traces back through Middle English "rode" to Old English "rād," meaning a riding or a journey on horseback, a sense tied to the same ancient root as "ride." "Block" is the older of the two in its general sense of an obstacle, and putting the two together produced a plain description of a barrier across a route. The verb grew out of the noun and carries the same idea of physically stopping traffic. Adding "-ing" turns it into the participle and gerund used for the act itself. The result is a term whose parts still say exactly what it does: a block placed on a road.

Synonyms: obstruction, impediment, hindrance, barrier, stoppage

Antonyms: facilitation, assistance, help, progress, advancement