Stonewalls

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To construct barriers or defenses made of stone; to obstruct or impede progress in a way that resembles fortification; an effort to delay or prevent a decision or action through evasive tactics
2. The act of creating a protective structure using large rocks or boulders; hindering advancement or movement through deliberate obstruction; engaging in tactics that effectively stall progress or resolve on an issue
3. Erecting walls or barriers designed for protection using stone materials; causing a standstill or block to progress and movement in a figurative sense; applying strategic means to avoid immediate action or resolution

Etymology: "Stonewalls" is the third-person singular present form of the verb "stonewall," so it simply describes someone or something that repeatedly obstructs or delays. The verb grows from the noun, which traces back to Old English "stānweall," a plain compound of "stān" (stone) and "weall" (wall). For centuries the phrase meant nothing more than a wall built of stone, and the sense of a deliberate, immovable barrier grew naturally out of that literal image. The word has a second, surprising branch. An old alcoholic drink carried the name "stonewall," perhaps because its effect felt as potent as running into a stone wall. That sense belongs to a different thread of usage, though, and the verb's meaning of evasive obstruction developed from the physical image of an impassable wall.

Synonyms: obstructs, blocks, hinders, impedes, stall

Antonyms: facilitates, aids, promotes, advances, assists