embargo

Meanings

Noun

• An order by the government prohibiting ships from leaving port.
• A ban on trade with another country.
• A temporary ban on making certain information public.

Verb

• To impose an embargo on trading certain goods with another country.
• To impose an embargo on a document.

Origin

• From Spanish embargar ("to arrest"), from Latin in- + Vulgar Latin *barra. More at embarrass.