'Impasse' definitions:

Definition of 'impasse'

From: WordNet
noun
A situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible; "reached an impasse on the negotiations" [syn: deadlock, dead end, impasse, stalemate, standstill]
noun
A street with only one way in or out [syn: blind alley, cul de sac, dead-end street, impasse]

Definition of 'Impasse'

From: GCIDE
  • Impasse \Im`passe"\ ([a^]N`p[aum]s"; E. [i^]m*p[.a]s"), n. [F.] An impassable road or way; a blind alley; cul-de-sac; fig., a position or predicament affording no escape.
  • The issue from the present impasse will, in all probability, proceed from below, not from above. --Arnold White. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]