Ob'sta-cle, n.

n. [Fr. obstacle, Sp. obstaculo, It. ostacolo, Lat. obstaculum; from obstare, to stand before or against, to withstand, oppose, from prefix ob and stare, to stand.] That which stands in the way, or opposes; any thing that hinders progress; hindrance; obstruction, either in a physical or moral sense.

If all obstacles were cut away, And that my path were even to the crown. Shak.

Synonyms—Impediment; obstruction; hindrance; difficulty. See IMPEDIMENT.