different between obstacle vs hitch

English

Etymology

From Middle English obstacle, from Old French obstacle, from Latin obst?culum.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??bst?kl?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??bst?kl?/
• Hyphenation: ob?sta?cle

Noun

obstacle (plural obstacles)

1. Something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress

   A big obstacle to understanding the manual was that it had been poorly translated from the Japanese.

Synonyms

• impediment
• hindrance
• hurdle
• barrier
• complication
• snag
• See also Thesaurus:hindrance

Translations

Anagrams

• Casebolt, costable

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin obst?culum.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /ops?ta.kl?/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /ups?ta.kl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ops?ta.kle/

Noun

obstacle m (plural obstacles)

1. obstacle

Derived terms

• obstaculitzar

Further reading

• “obstacle” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin obstaculum, from obst?

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p.stakl/

Noun

obstacle m (plural obstacles)

1. obstacle

Derived terms

• course d'obstacles
• faire obstacle
• saut d'obstacles

Further reading

• “obstacle” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

Probably from Middle English hicchen, hytchen, icchen (“to move; to move as with a jerk”), of obscure origin. Lacks cognates in other languages. Compare itch, hike.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /h?t?/
• Rhymes: -?t?

Noun

hitch (plural hitches)

1. A sudden pull.
2. Any of various knots used to attach a rope to an object other than another rope.
3. A fastener or connection point, as for a trailer.

4. (informal) A problem, delay or source of difficulty.
5. A hidden or unfavorable condition or element.

   Synonym: catch

6. (military, slang) A period of time spent in the military.
   • 2004, June 3, Stephen J. Hedges & Mike Dorning, Chicago Tribune; Orlando Sentinel; page pg. A.1

     U.S. TROOPS FACE LONGER ARMY HITCH; SOLDIERS BOUND FOR IRAQ, ... WILL BE RETAINED

Hyponyms

• Magnus hitch
• midshipman's hitch
• rigger's hitch
• rolling hitch
• taut-line hitch
• tent-line hitch

Translations

Verb

hitch (third-person singular simple present hitches, present participle hitching, simple past and past participle hitched)

1. (transitive) To pull with a jerk.

2. (transitive) To attach, tie or fasten.

   Synonyms: affix, join, put together; see also Thesaurus:join
3. (informal) To marry oneself to; especially to get hitched.

   Synonyms: splice, wed; see also Thesaurus:marry

4. (informal, transitive) Clipping of hitchhike, to thumb a ride.

5. (intransitive) To become entangled or caught; to be linked or yoked; to unite; to cling.

   • atoms […] which at length hitched together

6. (intransitive) To move interruptedly or with halts, jerks, or steps; said of something obstructed or impeded.
   • To ease themselves […] by hitching into another place.

7. (Britain) To strike the legs together in going, as horses; to interfere.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Translations

Derived terms

• hitch one's wagon to a star
• unhitch
• unhitched

Further reading

• hitch on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• List of hitch knots on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References