blockage

Everyday

1. A blockage is something that blocks a pipe, tube, road or passage so things cannot get through. tree →
2. (medicine) A blockage is something stopping blood, air or food from moving inside the body, such as in a blood vessel or the gut. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life blockages happen in sinks, drains and toilets (often from hair, fat or wet wipes). In science and health lessons a blockage in an artery can cause a heart attack, and choking is a blockage of the airway — an emergency. Phrases: clear a blockage, a blockage in the drain, cause a blockage.

Examples

• A blockage in the sink stopped the water draining away. tree →
• The plumber cleared the blockage with a long rod. tree →
• Wet wipes cause blockages in drains, so don't flush them. tree →
• Fallen trees made a blockage on the road. tree →
• A blockage in an artery can cause a heart attack. tree →
• Choking happens when food makes a blockage in the airway. tree →
• The doctor found a blockage in the patient's gut. tree →

Note

Countable: a blockage, blockages. Verb: block. In first aid, if someone is choking and cannot breathe or speak, get an adult and call emergency services (999 UK, 911 US and Canada, 000 Australia, 111 NZ, 112/999 Ireland).