hurdle

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) enPR: hûr'dəl, IPA(key): /ˈhɜːdl̩/ (General American) enPR: hûr'dəl, IPA(key): /ˈhɝd(ə)l/ Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)dəl Homophone: hurtle (t/d-flapping dialects) Hyphenation: hurd‧le === Etymology 1 === From Middle English hurdel, hirdel, herdel, hyrdel, from Old English hyrdel (“frame of intertwined twigs used as a temporary barrier”), diminutive of *hyrd, from Proto-Germanic *hurdiz, from Pre-Germanic *kr̥h₂tis, from Proto-Indo-European *kreh₂-. Cognate with Dutch horde, German Hürde. ==== Noun ==== hurdle (plural hurdles) (athletics, equestrianism) An artificial barrier, variously constructed, over which athletes or horses jump in a race. (figuratively) An obstacle, real or perceived, physical or abstract. A movable frame of wattled twigs, osiers, or withes and stakes, or sometimes of iron, used for enclosing land, for folding sheep and cattle, for gates, etc.; also, in fortification, used as revetments, and for other purposes. (UK, historical) A sled or crate on which criminals were drawn to the place of execution. 1855, Matthew Arnold, Balder Dead, Part II, in The Poems of Matthew Arnold, 1840-1867, Oxford University Press, 1909, pp. 250-51, [3] Behind flock'd wrangling up a piteous crew, / Greeted of none, disfeatur'd and forlorn— / Cowards, who were in sloughs interr'd alive: / And round them still the wattled hurdles hung / Wherewith they stamp'd them down, and trod them deep, / To hide their shameful memory from men. (chess) A piece that is jumped over by a hopper piece. ===== Synonyms ===== See also Thesaurus:hindrance ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → Japanese: ハードル (hādoru) → Korean: 허들 (heodeul) ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== hurdle (third-person singular simple present hurdles, present participle hurdling, simple past and past participle hurdled) To jump over something while running. To compete in the track and field events of hurdles (e.g. high hurdles). To overcome an obstacle. To hedge, cover, make, or enclose with hurdles. (chess, of a hopper piece) To jump over another piece without capturing it. ===== Translations ===== ==== Further reading ==== Hurdle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== hurdle (plural hurdles) (T-flapping) Misspelling of hurtle. ==== Verb ==== hurdle (third-person singular simple present hurdles, present participle hurdling, simple past and past participle hurdled) (T-flapping) Misspelling of hurtle. === Anagrams === hurled, huldre, Hudler