hinder, obstruct

阻 is composed of the radical of 阜(hill) and 且(and, yet). 阜 depicts a terraced hillside or mound, conveying the idea of an obstacle or barrier, while 且 is the pictograph of a chopping board; when cutting meat, the chopping board is placed underneath to prevent the knife from touching the ground or other surfaces after slicing through, thus implying separation or blocking. Therefore, 阻 means to block or obstruct.