Unstop

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To restore the unobstructed flow in a pathway or system by eliminating any barriers To remove impediments that hinder movement or passage in a channel To enable the free passage of substances by clearing any blocks or obstructions in a conduit
2. To clear away any obstruction preventing flow or movement through a passage or duct
3. To eliminate barriers that block or hinder the passage within a confined space or channel

Etymology: "Unstop" is a plain formation: the prefix "un-" attached to "stop," meaning to reverse the stopping. Its earliest form in English was the Middle English "unstoppen," and the same pattern shows up in Dutch "ontstoppen" and German "entstopfen," which suggests the Germanic languages each built a verb for undoing a stoppage in much the same way. The original sense is the literal one: to take the plug or stopper out of something, or to clear what has blocked a passage. That concrete meaning still fits the modern use, which is mostly about drains, pipes and noses, where something has been jammed in a channel and must be removed.

Synonyms: remove, clear, unblock, release, free

Antonyms: stop, block, obstruct, impede, halt