hurdle
Americannoun
-
a portable barrier over which contestants must leap in certain running races, usually a wooden frame with a hinged inner frame that swings down under impact to prevent injury to a runner who does not clear it.
-
(used with a singular verb) hurdles, a race in which contestants must leap over a number of such barriers placed at specific intervals around the track.
-
any of various vertical barriers, as a hedge, low wall, or section of fence, over which horses must jump in certain types of turf races, as a steeplechase, but especially an artificial barrier.
-
a difficult problem to be overcome; obstacle.
-
Chiefly British. a movable rectangular frame of interlaced twigs, crossed bars, or the like, as for a temporary fence.
-
a frame or sled on which criminals, especially traitors, were formerly drawn to the place of execution.
verb (used with object)
-
to leap over (a hurdle, barrier, fence, etc.), as in a race.
-
to master (a difficulty, problem, etc.); overcome.
-
to construct with hurdles; enclose with hurdles.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
-
athletics one of a number of light barriers over which runners leap in certain events
-
a low barrier used in certain horse races
-
-
an obstacle to be overcome
-
a light framework of interlaced osiers, wattle, etc, used as a temporary fence
-
a sledge on which criminals were dragged to their executions
verb
-
to jump (a hurdle, etc), as in racing
-
(tr) to surround with hurdles
-
(tr) to overcome
Other Word Forms
- hurdler noun
- unhurdled adjective
Etymology
Origin of hurdle
before 900; Middle English hirdel, hurdel (noun), Old English hyrdel, equivalent to hyrd- + -el noun suffix; compare German Hürde hurdle; akin to Latin crātis hurdle, wickerwork, Greek kýrtos basket, cage, Sanskrit kṛt spin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And it has run up the price on what will be a larger competitor, once Paramount Skydance and Warner Discovery get their merger over the necessary regulatory hurdles.
Cringe-worthy name aside, the series’ bigger hurdle may be more existential.
From MarketWatch
For more than a decade, city officials have been contending with logistical hurdles to turn the busiest passenger rail hub in North America into an entirely new neighborhood.
If the bid is accepted and makes it through regulatory hurdles, the new company will own the news channel CNN, as well as CBS News, which it acquired when Paramount and Skydance merged last year.
From BBC
Experts say the formidable technical hurdles facing such Iranian ambitions give the two sides time to discuss a potential agreement to curb Tehran’s missile development.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
