Block Definition
block
See also Block
English
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Block
Etymology
From Middle English blok (“log, stump, solid piece”), from Old French bloc (“log, block”), of Germanic origin, from Middle Dutch blok (“treetrunk”), from Old Saxon *blok (“log”), from Proto-Germanic *bluk(k)an (“beam, log”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhulg'-, from *bhelg'- (“thick plank, beam, pile, prop”). Cognate with Old High German bloh, bloc (German Block, “block”), Old English bolca (“gangway of a ship, plank”), Old Norse bǫlkr (Norwegian bolk, “divider, partition”). More at balk.
Pronunciation
- (RP) IPA: /blɒk/, SAMPA: /blQk/
- Rhymes: -ɒk
- (GenAm) IPA: /blɑk/, SAMPA: /blAk/
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- Homophone: bloc
Noun
block (plural blocks)
- A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.
- A block of ice.
- A block of stone.
- A cuboid of wood, plastic or other material used as a base on which to cut something.
- Anne Boleyn placed her head on the block and awaited her execution.
- A group of urban lots of property, several acres in extent, not crossed by public streets
- I'm going for a walk around the block.
- A residential building consisting of flats.
- A block of flats.
- The distance from one street to another in a city that is built (approximately) to a grid pattern.
- The place you are looking for is two long blocks east and one short block north.
- (slang) The human head.
- I'll knock your block off.
- A set of sheets (of paper) joined together at one end.
- A block of 100 tickets.
- (computing) A logical data storage unit containing one or more physical sectors (see cluster).
- (computing) A region of code in a program that acts as a single unit, such as a function or loop.
- (rigging) A case with one or more sheaves/pulleys, used with ropes to increase or redirect force, for example, as part of the rigging of a sailing ship.
- (chemistry) A portion of a macromolecule, comprising many units, that has at least one feature not present in adjacent portions.
- Something that prevents something from passing (see blockage).
- There's a block in the pipe that means the water can't get through.
- (sports) An action to interfere with the movement of an opposing player or of the object of play (ball, puck).
- 2011 February 12, Oliver Brett, “Sunderland 1 - 2 Tottenham”, BBC:
- The match proved an unedifying spectacle until Spurs won a corner following their first move of real quality, John Mensah making an important block with Jermain Defoe poised to strike.
- (cricket) A shot played by holding the bat vertically in the path of the ball, so that it loses momentum and drops to the ground.
- (volleyball) A defensive play by one or more players meant to deflect a spiked ball back to the hitter’s court.
- (philately) A joined group of four (or in some cases nine) postage stamps, forming a roughly square shape.
- A section of split logs used as fuel.
Synonyms
Related terms
Derived terms
Terms derived from
block (noun)
- cuboid
- group of buildings
- computing
- distance
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- cutting base
- chopping block
- block vote
- prevent passage
- rigging
- human head
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- volleyball
- block assist
- blocking error
- solo block
- miscellaneous
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Synonyms
Verb
block (third-person singular simple present blocks, present participle blocking, simple past and past participle blocked)
- (transitive) To fill (something) so that it is not possible to pass.
- The pipe is blocked.
- (transitive) To prevent (something or someone) from passing.
- You're blocking the road - I can't get through.
- (transitive) To prevent (something from happening or someone from doing something).
- His plan to take over the business was blocked by the boss.
- (transitive, sports) To impede an opponent.
- He blocked the basketball player's shot.
- The offensive linemen tried to block the blitz.
- (transitive, theater) To specify the positions and movements of the actors.
- It was very difficult to block this scene convincingly.
- (transitive, cricket) To hit with a block.
- (intransitive, cricket) To play a block shot.
- (transitive) To disable communication via telephone, instant messaging, etc., with an undesirable someone.
- I tried to message, but you blocked me!
- (computing) (intransitive) To wait.
- When the condition expression is false, the thread blocks on the condition variable.
- (transitive) to shape or mould [a hat] into the desired shape.
Related terms
terms derived from
block (verb)
Translations
to fill
- Bulgarian: преграждам (bg), блокирам (bg)
- Catalan: bloquejar, blocar
- Dutch: verstoppen (nl)
- Finnish: tukkia (fi)
- French: boucher (fr)
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to prevent passing
to prevent an action
impeding action
to specify positions and movements of actors
to use the cricket shot block
to not answer a person by the phone
- Hebrew: סינן (he) (sinén), חסם (he) (khasám)
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Manx
Noun
block m. (genitive bluick)
- block, log, cake (of soap)
Derived terms
Swedish
Pronunciation
Noun
block n.
- a block, a boulder, a cuboid (of ice, wood, rock)
- a block, a pad, a notebook
- a block, a pulley
- a block, a piece of data storage
- a bloc (of voters or countries)
Declension
Declension of
block
Related terms
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