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stonewall - 2 dictionary results

stone⋅wall

[stohn-wawl]
–verb (used without object)
1. to engage in stonewalling.
2. British. filibuster (def. 3).
3. Cricket. (of a batsman) to play a defensive game, as by persistently blocking the ball instead of batting it for distance and runs.
–verb (used with object)
4. Informal. to block, stall, or resist intentionally: lobbying efforts to stonewall passage of the legislation.
5. British. to obstruct (the passage of a legislative bill) in Parliament, esp. by excessive or prolonged debate.
–adjective
6. pertaining to or characteristic of stonewalling: a new round of stonewall tactics.

Origin:
v. and adj. use of n. phrase stone wall


stonewaller, noun
stone·wall   (stōn'wôl')   
v.   stone·walled, stone·wall·ing, stone·walls

v.   intr.
  1. Informal
    1. To engage in delaying tactics; stall: "stonewalling for time in order to close the missile gap" (James Reston).
    2. To refuse to answer or cooperate.
  2. Sports To play defensively rather than trying to score in cricket.
v.   tr. Informal
To refuse to answer or cooperate with; resist or rebuff: "I want you to stonewall it, let them plead the Fifth Amendment" (Richard M. Nixon).
stone'wall'er n.
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