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hinder

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hin⋅der

1[hin-der]
–verb (used with object)
1. to cause delay, interruption, or difficulty in; hamper; impede: The storm hindered our progress.
2. to prevent from doing, acting, or happening; stop: to hinder a man from committing a crime.
–verb (used without object)
3. to be an obstacle or impediment.

Origin:
bef. 1000; ME hindren, OE hindrian to hold back, equiv. to hinder hinder 2 + -ian causative v. suffix


hin⋅der⋅er, noun
hin⋅der⋅ing⋅ly, adverb


1. encumber, obstruct, trammel. 2. block, thwart. See prevent.


1. encourage.

hind⋅er

2[hahyn-der]
–adjective
1. situated at the rear or back; posterior: the hinder part of a carcass.
–noun
2. Chiefly Northern and North Midland U.S. the buttocks.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME; cf. OE hinder (adv.) behind; c. G hinter (prep.) behind

hind

1[hahynd]
–adjective
situated in the rear or at the back; posterior: the hind legs of an animal.

Origin:
1300–50; ME hinde; cf. OE hindan (adv.) from behind, at the back; c. G hinten; see behind, hinder 2


1. See back 1 .
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To hinder
hind 1   (hīnd)   
adj.  Located at or forming the back or rear; posterior: an animal's hind legs; the hinder part of a steer.

[Middle English hinde, short for bihinde, behind, from Old English bihindan; see ko- in Indo-European roots.]
hin·der 1   (hĭn'dər)   
v.   hin·dered, hin·der·ing, hin·ders

v.   tr.
  1. To be or get in the way of.

  2. To obstruct or delay the progress of.

v.   intr.
To interfere with action or progress.

[Middle English hindren, from Old English hindrian; see ko- in Indo-European roots.]
hin'der·er n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to slow or prevent progress or movement. To hinder is to hold back and often implies stopping or prevention: The travelers were hindered by storms.
To hamper is to hinder by or as if by fastening or entangling: His clothes hampered his efforts to swim to safety.
To impede is to slow by making action or movement difficult: "Our journey was impeded by a thousand obstacles" (Mary Shelley).
Obstruct implies the presence of obstacles: A building obstructed our view of the mountains.
Block refers to complete obstruction that prevents progress, passage, or action: "Do not block the way of inquiry" (Charles S. Peirce).
Dam suggests obstruction of the flow, progress, or release of something: She dammed the brook to form a pool. He dammed up his emotions.
To bar is to prevent entry or exit or prohibit a course of action: The legislature passed laws that bar price fixing.
hind·er 2   (hīn'dər)   
adj.  Variant of hind1.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

hind  (adj.)
c.1300, perhaps a back-formation from O.E. behindan "back, behind," used as adv. and prep., or from O.E. hindan (adv.) "from behind," words of unknown origin, cognate with Goth. hindan (prep.) "on that side of, beyond, behind;" Ger. hinten "behind." Possibly infl. by M.E. hiner (adv.) "back, rear." Hindmost is from 1375. Hindsight is recorded 1851 as "back-sight of a rifle," 1883 as "perception after the event."

hinder  (v.)
O.E. hindrian "to harm, injure, impair," from P.Gmc. *khinderojanan, from a root meaning "on that side of, behind" (cf. hind (adj.)); thus the ground sense is "to put or keep back." Cognate of O.N. hindra, Du. hinderen, Ger. hindern "to keep back."

hinder  (adj.)
"rear," O.E. hinder (adv.), possibly comparative of hind (adj.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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