stonewall

Meaning

Noun

1. (idiomatic) An obstruction.
2. (idiomatic) A refusal to cooperate.
3. (historical, idiomatic) An alcoholic drink popular in colonial America, consisting of apple cider (or sometimes applejack) mixed with rum (or sometimes gin or whisky).
4. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of stone wall (“wall made of stone”).

Verb

1. (transitive) To obstruct.
2. (ambitransitive, informal) To refuse to answer or cooperate, especially in supplying information.

Adj

Certain, definite.

Synonyms

obstruct

retard

filibuster

fence

corral

cramp

cumber

curb

detain

enclosure

hinder

impede

inhibit

pen

🖊️

prevent

protect

roadblock

set back

skid

stem

stunt

stupefy

stymie

stymy

get in the way

wall

barrier

backpedal

be in the way

block

brake

Translations

mauern

hindern

abhalten

behindern

Hecke

abblocken

Mauer

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈstəʊnwɔːl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: stonwal

Inherited from Old English: stānweall

In summary

From Middle English stonwal, stone wall, stanewalle (“wall made of stone”), from Old English stānweall (“stonewall”), equivalent to stone + wall. The alcoholic drink (sense 3) was perhaps named thus because its effect was as potent as running into a stone wall.