"to shut up or stop up so as to prevent anything from passing through," 1590s, from Latin occludere (past participle occlusus) "shut up, close up," from assimilated form of ob "in front of, against" (see ob-) + claudere "to shut, close" (see close (v.)). Of teeth, "come in contact with another tooth," 1888. Related: Occluded; occluding.
"act or fact of being stopped up," 1640s, from Medieval Latin occlusionem (nominative occlusio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin occludere (see occlude). Dentistry sense "position of the two sets of teeth relative to each other when the mouth is closed" is from 1880.
also *kleu-, klēu-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "hook, crook," also "crooked or forked branch" (used as a bar or bolt in primitive structures).
It forms all or part of: anschluss; autoclave; clause; claustrophobia; claves; clavichord; clavicle; clavier; claviger; clechy; clef; cloison; cloisonne; cloister; close (v.); close (adj.); closet; closure; cloture; clove (n.1) "dried flowerbud of a certain tropical tree, used as a spice;" cloy; conclave; conclude; disclose; enclave; enclose; exclude; foreclose; include; occlude; preclude; recluse; seclude; slot (n.2) "bar or bolt used to fasten a door, window, etc."
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek kleis "bar, bolt, key; collarbone," klobos "cage;" Latin clavis "key," clavus "nail," claudere "to shut, close;" Lithuanian kliūti "to catch, be caught on," kliaudžiu, kliausti "to check, hinder," kliūvu, kliūti "to clasp, hang;" Old Church Slavonic ključi "hook, key," ključiti "shut;" Old Irish clo "nail," Middle Irish clithar "hedge, fence;" Old High German sliozan "shut," German schließen "to shut," Schlüssel "key."
