an obstruction that stands in the way (and must be removed or surmounted or circumvented)
something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted; "lack of imagination is an obstacle to one's advancement"; "the poverty of a district is an obstacle to good education"; "the filibuster was a major obstruction to the success of their plan"
(law) a procedure whereby a party to a suit says that a particular line of questioning or a particular witness or a piece of evidence or other matter is improper and should not be continued and asks the court to rule on its impropriety or illegality
the quality of being difficult; "they agreed about the difficulty of the climb"
a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result; "serious difficulties were encountered in obtaining a pure reagent"
a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome; "grappling with financial difficulties"
a playing card that is usually printed with a picture of a jester
an inconspicuous clause in a document or bill that affects its meaning in a way that is not immediately apparent; "when I demanded my money he showed me the joker in the contract"
a person who enjoys telling or playing jokes
a person who does something thoughtless or annoying; "some joker is blocking the driveway"
prevent the progress or free movement of; "He was hampered in his efforts by the bad weather"; "the imperialist nation wanted to strangle the free trade between the two small countries"