Wednesday 16 September 2009

You are Barred, You are an Embarassment

You are Barred, You are an Embarassment.

[ME. barre-n, a. OF. barre-r (12th c. in Littré), f. barre BAR n.1]

I. To make fast, fasten in, or out, with bars.

1. trans. a. To make fast (a door, etc.) by a bar or bars fixed across it; to fasten up or close (a place) with bars.

{dag}b. To surround with a barrier or fence. Obs.

2. a. To fasten in, shut up, or confine securely (a person or thing) by means of bars. Also transf. and fig.

b. to bar out: to shut out with a bar or bars.

3. To close or obstruct (a way of approach) by some barrier; to block up, make impassable.

4. To obstruct, stop, or prevent (a person's progress, or a person in his progress).

5. Law. a. To arrest or stop (a person) by ground of legal objection from enforcing some claim.

b. To stay or arrest (an action); to exclude or prevent the advancement of (a plea, claim, right.)

6. a. To hinder, exclude, keep back, prevent, prohibit (a person) from; to deprive or debar of.

b. with double object. arch.

{dag}c. with inf. phr. Obs.

d. absolutely.

7. To stop, hinder, prevent, prohibit (an action or event).

OED

http://tinyurl.com/lz3u43

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[ad. F. embarrasser, lit. ‘to block, obstruct’, f. embarras: see prec.]

1. trans. To encumber, hamper, impede (movements, actions, persons moving or acting).

b. pass. Of persons: To be ‘in difficulties’ from want of money; to be encumbered with debts. Cf. EMBARRASSED ppl. a., EMBARRASSMENT.

2. a. To perplex, throw into doubt or difficulty.

b. To make (a person) feel awkward or ashamed, esp. by one's speech or actions; to cause (someone) embarrassment.

3. To render difficult or intricate; to complicate (a question, etc.).

OED

http://tinyurl.com/nb2o5e

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