Etymology From Middle English hindren, from Old English hindrian, from Proto-Germanic *hindrōną, *hinderōną (“to hinder”), from Proto-Germanic *hinder (“back”) (adverb). Cognate with Dutch hinderen and German hindern, Latin contra (“back, against”).
1
To make difficult to accomplish; to act as an obstacle; to frustrate.
A drought hinders the growth of plants.
We doubt not of a faire and luckie Warre, / Since God ſo graciouſly hath brought to light / This dangerous Treaſon, lurking in our way, / To hinder our beginnings.1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 75, column 2:
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Arsenal were playing without a recognised full-back – their defence comprising four centre-halves – and the lack of width was hindering their progress.2011 December 10, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1 – 0 Everton”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 05 Dec 2018:
2
Ambitransitive To delay or impede; to keep back, to prevent.
She hindered a man from committing suicide.
Then let me goe, and hinder not my courſe: [...]c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii], page 28, column 1:
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[I]f in thoſe days Cham and Japhet, and other Parents beſides the Eldest Son were Heads and Princes over their Families, and had a right to divide the Earth by Families, what hinders Younger Brothers, being Fathers of Families from having the ſame right, [...]1689 December (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], “Who Heir?”, in Two Treatises of Government: […], London: […] Awnsham Churchill, […], →OCLC, book I, paragraph 142, pages 181–182:
If me and a certain character met, the guy that invented the cigarette, I'd murder that son of a gun in the first degree. Now it ain't 'cause that I don't smoke myself and I don't reckon they hinder your health. I've smoked them all my life and I ain't dead yet.1947, Merle Travis, Tex Williams, “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)”:
Etymology Inherited from Middle English hinder, comparative form of hind: more hind.
1
Of or belonging to that part or end which is in the rear or hind, or which follows.
the hinder end of a wagon
the hinder parts of a horse
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Let no man say that the Devil is not a cruel tyrant. He may give his folk some scrapings of unhallowed pleasure, but he will exact tithes, yea, of anise and cummin, in return, and there is aye the reckoning to pay at the hinder end.1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
On a line dividing the front two-thirds from the hinder one-third, and set in the shape of a V, is a row of seven to twelve large flat-topped circumvallate papillae, […]1990, C. W. H. Havard, editor, Black's Medical Dictionary, 36th edition, page 673:
hinder
noun
Etymology Inherited from Middle English hinder, comparative form of hind: more hind.
Like martial arts, in-line skating is predicated on the notion that sooner or later you're going to end up on your hinder.1997, Richard Laliberte, Stephen C. George, The Men's Health Guide to Peak Conditioning, →ISBN, page 195: