I.v. a., to build before or against; to build, block, or wall up; to stop up, barricade, render impassable (class.; cf. obsaepio, claudo, oppilo).
I. Lit.: “validum pro diruto obstruentes murum,” Liv. 38, 29: “frontem castrorum auxiliis,” id. 5, 1.—Esp., to build before so as to obstruct the light: “obstructae fenestrae,” Varr. R. R. 1, 4: “FENESTRAS OPSTRVITO, Lex. Puteol. ap. Grut. 207, 2: luminibus alicujus,” Cic. Dom. 44: jus luminum obstruendorum redimere, to purchase permission of a neighbor to build so as to obstruct his light, Inscr. Guarin. Comment. in Vet. Monument. 1, p. 64: “portas,” Caes. B. C. 1, 27: valvas aedis. Nep. Paus. 5: “aditus,” Cic. Brut. 4, 16: “flumina,” Caes. B. C. 3, 48: “aquarum venas,” Plin. 31, 3, 28, § 49: “saxa,” placed in the way, Ov. M. 3, 570: “cujus aures morbus obstruxit,” has stopped up, made deaf, Sen. Ben. 3, 17, 2: “os obstruere,” to close the mouth, to make silent, Vulg. Psa. 62, 12; id. Rom. 3, 19.—
II. Trop., to stop up, hinder, impede, obstruct: “Catonis luminibus obstruxit haec posteriorum quasi exaggerata altius oratio,” was a hinderance to, Cic. Brut. 17, 66: “viri deus obstruit aures,” stops, renders deaf, inexorable, Verg. A. 4, 440: “perfugia improborum,” shuts off, Cic. Sull. 28, 79: “cognitionem difficultatibus,” to impede, obstruct, id. Ac. 2, 3, 7: “mentes,” Tac. H. 3, 21.—