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clog (klôg, klŏg)
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n.
1. An obstruction or hindrance.
2. A weight, such as a block, attached to the leg of an animal to hinder movement.
3. A heavy, traditionally wooden-soled shoe.
v. clogged, clog·ging, clogs
v.tr.
1. To obstruct movement on or in; block up: Heavy traffic clogged the freeways.
2. To hamper the function or activity of; impede: "attorneys clogging our courts with actions designed to harass state and local governments" (Roslyn L. Anderson and Patricia L. Irvin).
v.intr.
1. To become obstructed or choked up: The pipes had clogged with rust.
2. To thicken or stick together; clot.
3. To do a clog dance.
[Middle English, block attached to an animal's leg.]
(click for a larger image)
clog
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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