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Fetter vs Obstacle - What's the difference?

fetter | obstacle |

As nouns the difference between fetter and obstacle

is that fetter is a chain or similar object used to bind a person or animal – often by its legs (usually in plural) while obstacle is something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress.

As a verb fetter

is to shackle or bind up with fetters.

fetter

English

(wikipedia fetter)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A chain or similar object used to bind a person or animal – often by its legs (usually in plural) .
  • (figurative) Anything that restricts or restrains.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1675 , author=John Dryden , title=Aureng-zebe , section=Prologue citation , passage=Passion's too fierce to be in fetters bound.}}
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1818 , author=Mary Shelley , title=Frankenstein , chapter=6 citation , passage=He looks upon study as an odious' ' fetter ; his time is spent in the open air, climbing the hills or rowing on the lake.}}
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1910 , year_published=2012 , edition=HTML , editor= , author=Erwin Rosen , title=In the Foreign Legion , chapter=Prolog citation , genre= , publisher=The Gutenberg Project , isbn= , page= , passage=That was the turning-point of my life. I broke my fetters , and I fought a hard fight for a new career … }}

    Synonyms

    (chains on legs) * leg irons

    Hyponyms

    (chain binding generally) * handcuff, handcuffs * leg irons * manacle, manacles * shackle, shackles

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To shackle or bind up with fetters
  • To restrain or impede; to hamper.

    • Derived terms

    * unfetter

    Hyponyms

    * handcuff * manacle * shackle

    obstacle

    English

    (Obstacle course)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress
    • A big obstacle to understanding the manual was that it had been poorly translated from the Japanese.

    Synonyms

    * impediment * hindrance * hurdle * See also