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hurdle

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The definition of a hurdle is a barrier that athletes or horses need to jump over during a competition, or an obstacle that needs to be overcome.

(noun)

A large plastic barrier that an athlete has to jump over during a triathlonis an example of a hurdle.
When you have no money to go to college, the lack of funds is an example of a hurdle that you must overcome before you can attend school.

To hurdle is defined as to jump over barriers.

(verb)

When you take part in a race where there are a series of 3-foot high barriers on the track that you have to run and jump over, this is an example of a time when you hurdle.

See hurdle in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

Chiefly Brit. a portable frame made of interlaced twigs, etc., used as a temporary fence or enclosure
a kind of frame or sled on which prisoners in England were drawn through the streets to execution
any of a series of framelike barriers over which horses or runners must leap in a special race (the )
a difficulty to be overcome; obstacle

Origin: ME hirdel < OE hyrdel < Gmc base *hurd-, wickerwork, hurdle, akin to hyrd, door, Frank *hurda, a pen, fold < IE base *kert-, to plait, twist together > L cratis (see crate), Gr kyrtos, bird cage

transitive verb hurdled, hurdling

to enclose or fence off with hurdles
to jump over (a barrier), as in a race
to overcome (an obstacle)

Related Forms:

hurdler noun

See hurdle in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Sports
a. A light portable barrier over which competitors must leap in certain races.
b. hurdles A race in which a series of such barriers must be jumped without the competitors' breaking their stride.
c. A leaping step made off one foot as means of maximizing spring at the end of an approach, as to a dive.
An obstacle or difficulty to be overcome: the last hurdle before graduation.
Chiefly British A portable framework made of intertwined branches or wattle and used for temporary fencing.
Chiefly British A frame or sledge on which condemned persons were dragged to execution.