block meaning

Noun: block  blók

1. A solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)
   "the pyramids were built with large stone blocks" 
2. A rectangular area in a city surrounded by streets and usually containing several buildings
   "he lives in the next block"
   -

Verb: block  blók

1. Render unsuitable for passage
   "block the way"
   - barricade, blockade, stop, block off, block up, bar 
2. Hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of
   "His brother blocked him at every turn"
   - obstruct, blockade, hinder, stymie, stymy, embarrass 
3. Stop from happening or developing
   "Block his election"
   - stop, halt, kibosh 
4. Interfere with or prevent the reception of signals
   "block the signals emitted by this station"
   - jam 
5. Run on a block system
   "block trains" 
6. Interrupt the normal function of by means of anaesthesia
   "block a nerve"; "block a muscle" 
7. Shut out from view or get in the way so as to hide from sight
   "The thick curtain blocked the action on the stage"
   - obstruct 
8. Stamp or emboss a title or design on a book with a block
   "block the book cover" 
9. Obstruct
   "Her arteries are blocked"
   - stuff, lug, choke up 
10. Block passage through
    - obstruct, obturate, impede, occlude, jam, close up 
11. Support, secure, or raise with a block
    "block a plate for printing"; "block the wheels of a car" 
12. Impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball)
    "block an attack"
    - parry, deflect 
13. Be unable to remember
    "You are blocking the name of your first wife!"
    - forget, blank out, draw a blank 
14. Shape by using a block
    "Block a hat"; "block a garment" 
15. Shape into a block or blocks
    "block the graphs so one can see the results clearly" 
16. Prohibit the conversion or use of (assets)
    "Blocked funds"
    - freeze, immobilize, immobilise [Brit]

Sounds like: bloc, Bloch

Derived forms: blocked, blocks, blocking

See also: blockage, blocker, blocky

Type of: accumulation, aggregation, anaesthetise [Brit], anaesthetize [Brit, Cdn], anesthetise [Brit], anesthetize [N. Amer], area, artefact [Brit], artifact [N. Amer], assemblage, back up, boss, break up, cast, casting, choke, choke off, clog, clog up, collection, computer memory unit, conceal, congest, country, cut off, disrupt, emboss, fence, forbid, foreclose, forestall, form, foul, hide, hinder, hold, hold up, housing, impede, impediment, impedimenta, inability, interrupt, keep back, living accommodations, lodging, machine, obstructer, obstruction, obstructor, operate, platform, preclude, prevent, put out, put under, run, shape, simple machine, solid, stamp, support, sustain, withhold

Antonym: unblock

Part of: block and tackle, ICE, internal-combustion engine, reciprocating engine

Encyclopedia: Block

[American slang]
n. a stupid person. (Possibly a back formation on blockhead.)
• You silly block! Get out of the way.
• Wally acts like such a block!

[Architecture]
1.

A masonry unit; a concrete block.

2. (Brit.)

A walling unit which exceeds in length, width, or height the dimensions specified for a brick.

3.

A solid piece of wood or other material.

4.

A plank or timber which serves as bridging between joists or the like.

5.

In quarrying, the large piece of stone, generally squared, that is taken from the quarry to the mill for sawing, slabbing, and further working.

6.

A mechanical device which encloses one or more pulleys, through which chains or ropes pass, usually for hoisting.

7.

A small area of city or town which is bounded by neighboring and intersecting streets; the length of a side of such an area.

8. (Brit.)

A large building which is divided into a number of units, as a block of flats.

block, 6

[Business]
AmE / noun, verb

■ noun [C]

BUILDING BLOCKS, OFFICE BLOCK

1

a quantity of sth or an amount of sth that is considered as a single unit, especially a large quantity or amount:

a block of seats

a block of text in a document

The airline gives a discount for block bookings (= a large number of tickets bought at the same time).

Several large shareholders have created a voting block against the takeover.

2 (Finance )

a very large number of shares or bonds:

The foundation holds a large block of shares in the electronics company.

The company has sold 40 million of its shares in a block trade worth €1 billion.

BLOCKING MINORITY

IDIOMS

be/go on the block

to be sold, especially by auction:

The group's European assets are on the block.

put/lay your head/neck on the block

to risk losing your job, damaging your reputation, etc. by doing or saying sth:

He was prepared to put his head on the block and say the bank would be profitable within one year.

■ verb [+ obj]

(Finance )

to stop sb from being able to remove money from their bank account:

A joint account is usually blocked if one of you informs the bank that it is no longer needed.

a blocked account

⇨ FREEZE

[Design engineering]
"A metal or wood case enclosing one or more pulleys, has a hook with which it can be attached to an object."

[Economics]
A large quantity of securities.

[Finance]
Large quantity of stock or large dollar amount of bonds held or traded. As a rule of thumb, 10,000 shares or more of stock and $200,000 or more worth of bonds would be described as a block.

[Medicine]
n often attrib
1 : interruption of normal physiological function of a tissue or organ ‹respiratory block due to carbon monoxide›; esp : HEART BLOCK
2
a : BLOCK ANESTHESIA
b : NERVE BLOCK 1
3 : interruption of a train of thought by competing thoughts or psychological suppression
vt
1 : to prevent normal functioning of (a bodily element) ‹block a nerve with novocaine›
2 : to obstruct the effect of ‹a carboxyl group blocked by esterification›
¦ vi : to experience or exhibit psychological blocking or blockage — block·er n

[Oil and gas]
The subdivision of a nation's exploration and production acreage. Blocks are generally defined in terms of latitude and longitude, at one-degree intervals.

[Computer]
1. <unit> A unit of data or memory, often, but not exclusively, on a magnetic disk or magnetic tape.

Compare record, sector.



2. <operating system> To delay or sit idle while waiting for something.

Compare busy-wait.



3. <programming> A delimited section of source code in a block-structured language.

Examples

More:   Next

1. too much oxygen can also block regeneration.
2. he lives three blocks away from here.
3. he has a block when it comes to math.
4. paddy's heart seemed to block his throat.
5. a book remains shut is but a block.