occlusion

 
Pronunciation: /əˈkluːʒ(ə)n/

noun

[mass noun]
  • 1 Medicine the blockage or closing of a blood vessel or hollow organ.
  • 2 [count noun] Meteorology a process by which the cold front of a rotating low-pressure system catches up the warm front, so that the warm air between them is forced upwards off the earth’s surface between wedges of cold air.
  • an occluded front.
  • 3 Dentistry the position of the teeth when the jaws are closed.

Derivatives

occlusive

adjective

Origin:

mid 17th century: from Latin occlus- 'shut up' (from the verb occludere) + -ion