cordon off

English

Verb

cordon off (third-person singular simple present cordons off, present participle cordoning off, simple past and past participle cordoned off)

1. (transitive) To protect from intrusion by enclosing in a rope or other barrier.

   Synonym: cordon

   Coordinate terms: curtain off, (rare) corral off

   A portion of the office was cordoned off during the outsiders' tour.

   The police cordoned off the street while they investigated the accident.

   • 2025 February 19, Mike Lewis, “Tragedy at Moorgate”, in RAIL, number 1029, page 57, about the Moorgate tube crash:

     Moorgate itself was another story. Here, the area was humming with activity. The entire street had been cordoned off. Fire engines, police vehicles, and ambulances were coming and going, and emergency personnel were hurrying around.

Translations

to enclose with rope barrier

• Finnish: sulkea köysiaidalla, eristää (fi)
• French: (slang) boucler (fr)
• Japanese: 結界 (ja) (けっかい, kekkai)
• Polish: oddzielać za pomocą taśmy lub liny impf, oddzielić za pomocą taśmy lub liny pf
• Swedish: spärra av (sv), avgränsa (sv), omgärda (sv), isolera (sv), avsnöra, instänga