Embargo
/ɛmˈbɑːr.ɡoʊ/noun
An official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country.
Did you know?Embargo comes from Spanish embargo, from em- “put in” + a Germanic root behind Old Spanish bargo “bar, hindrance,” so its core image is something forcibly blocked or fenced off.
Etymological Timeline
Germanic
PGmc
*barō
“bar, beam, obstruction”
Old Spanish
Spanish
embargar
“to seize, restrain, hinder”
16th Century
Spanish
embargo
“a seizure or legal restraint”
17th Century
English
embargo
“a prohibition on ships or trade”
Modern English
English
embargo
“an official ban on trade or movement”