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Definition of "occlude" []

  • To cause to become closed; obstruct: occlude an artery. (verb-transitive)
  • To prevent the passage of: occlude light; occlude the flow of blood. (verb-transitive)
  • Chemistry To absorb or adsorb and retain (a substance). (verb-transitive)
  • Meteorology To force (air) upward from the earth's surface, as when a cold front overtakes and undercuts a warm front. (verb-transitive)
  • Dentistry To bring together (the upper and lower teeth) in proper alignment for chewing. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "occlude" in a sentence
  • "I have a 2 year old and their throats are itty bitty and so when it swells it doesn't take much to occlude it."
  • "Evans had a second store on Michigan Avenue and on the day of the Fur Free Friday parade, it would hire a billboard truck to park in front of it and occlude its sign."
  • "Plaques that completely occlude a coronary artery can lead to a heart attack."