hurdle
pronunciation
How to pronounce hurdle in British English:
UK [ˈhɜːdl]
How to pronounce hurdle in American English:
US [ˈhɜːrdl]
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- Noun:
- a light movable barrier that competitors must leap over in certain races
- an obstacle that you are expected to overcome
- the act of jumping over an obstacle
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- Verb:
- jump a hurdle
Word Origin
- hurdle
- hurdle: see hoard
- hurdle (n.)
- Old English hyrdel "frame of intertwined twigs used as a temporary barrier," diminutive of hyrd "door," from Proto-Germanic *hurdiz "wickerwork frame, hurdle" (cognates: Old Saxon hurth "plaiting, netting," Dutch horde "wickerwork," German Hürde "hurdle, fold, pen;" Old Norse hurð, Gothic haurds "door"), from PIE *krtis (cognates: Latin cratis "hurdle, wickerwork," Greek kartalos "a kind of basket," kyrtos "fishing creel"), from root *kert- "to weave, twist together" (cognates: Sanskrit krt "to spin"). Sense of "barrier to jump in a race" is by 1822; figurative sense of "obstacle" is 1924.
- hurdle (v.)
- 1590s, "to build like a hurdle," from hurdle (n.). Sense of "to jump over" dates from 1880 (implied in hurdling). Related: Hurdled; hurdling. Hurdles as a type of race (originally horse race) with hurdles as obstacles is attested by 1836 (hurdle-race is from 1822).
Example
- 1. One hurdle facing ford in asia is production capacity .
- 2. It 's more of a technical hurdle to realize these pictures .
- 3. Mere seconds after the gun sounded , liu 's foot caught the first hurdle and he took a harrowing fall .
- 4. One hurdle is ethical and political .
- 5. The country in theory faces one hurdle .