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• block
  block

  noun

  a solid mass of wood, stone, etc., usually with one or more flat or approximately flat faces.
• Block
  Block

  noun

  Herbert Lawrence Herblock, 1909–2001, U.S. cartoonist.

block

¹ American  

[blok] / blɒk /

noun

• blocks
  plural

1. a solid mass of wood, stone, etc., usually with one or more flat or approximately flat faces.

2. a hollow masonry building unit of cement, terracotta, etc..

   a wall made of concrete blocks.

3. one of a set of cube-shaped pieces of wood, plastic, or the like, used as a child's toy in building.

4. a mold or piece on which something is shaped or kept in shape.

   a hat block.

5. a piece of wood used in the art of making woodcuts or wood engravings.

6. Printing. the base on which a plate is mounted to make it type-high.

7. a projection left on a squared stone to provide a means of lifting it.

8. a short length of plank serving as a bridging, as between joists.

9. a stump or wooden structure on which a condemned person is beheaded.

   Mary Stuart went bravely to the block.

10. auction block.

11. Machinery. a part enclosing one or more freely rotating, grooved pulleys, about which ropes or chains pass to form a hoisting or hauling tackle.

12. an obstacle, obstruction, or hindrance.

    His stubbornness is a block to all my efforts.

    Synonyms:

    jam, stoppage, barrier, blockade, impediment

13. the state or condition of being obstructed; blockage.

    The traffic block lasted several hours.

14. Pathology.

    1. an obstruction, as of a nerve.

    2. heart block.

15. Sports. a hindering of an opponent's actions.

16. a quantity, portion, or section taken as a unit or dealt with at one time.

    a large block of theater tickets.

17. a small section of a city, town, etc., enclosed by neighboring and intersecting streets.

    She lives on my block.

18. the length of one side of such a section.

    We walked two blocks over.

19. Chiefly British. a large building divided into separate apartments, offices, shops, etc.

20. a large number of bonds or shares of stock sold together as a single unit.

21. Computers.

    1. a group of data stored as a unit on an external storage medium and handled as a unit by the computer for input or output.

       This file has 20 records per block.

    2. a section of storage locations in a computer allocated to a particular set of instructions or data.

    3. a group of consecutive machine words organized as a unit and guiding a particular computer operation, especially with reference to input and output.

    4. (on a flow chart) a symbol representing an operation, device, or instruction in a computer program.

22. Railroads. any of the short lengths into which a track is divided for signaling purposes.

23. Philately. a group of four or more unseparated stamps, not in a strip.

24. Slang. a person's head.

25. Glassmaking. a wooden or metal cup for blocking a gather.

26. an obstruction or stoppage in mental processes or speech, especially when related to stress, emotional conflict, etc.

27. writer's block.

28. Geology.

    1. any large, angular mass of solid rock.

    2. fault block.

29. (in Canada) a wild or remote area of land that has not yet been surveyed.

    the Peace River block.

30. Automotive. cylinder block.

31. Falconry. a low perch to which a falcon is tethered outdoors.

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verb (used with object)

• blocks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• blocked,
  past participle,  past
• blocking
  present participle

1. to obstruct (someone or something) by placing obstacles in the way (sometimes followed byup ).

   to block one's exit;

   to block up a passage.

   Synonyms:

   stop, deter, hinder, impede, blockade, close

2. to fit with blocks; mount on a block.

3. to shape or prepare on or with a block.

   to block a hat;

   to block a sweater.

4. to join (the ends of boards or the like) by fastening to a block of wood.

5. Theater.

   1. Also block out. to plan or work out the movement of performers in a play, pageant, etc..

      Tomorrow we'll block act one.

   2. to draw a floor plan on (a stage) in order to indicate placement of scenery, stage property, etc.

6. Pathology, Physiology. to stop the passage of impulses in (a nerve).

7. Computers. to group (contiguous data) together so as to allow to be read or written in a single operation.

8. Sports. to hinder or bar the actions or movements of (an opposing player), especially legitimately.

9. Glassmaking.

   1. to shape (a molten gather) in a wet cup of wood or metal.

   2. to plunge a block of wood into (molten glass) to aid in refining the glass.

10. Metalworking. to give (a forging) a rough form before finishing.

11. Electronics. to apply a high negative bias to the grid of (a vacuum tube), for reducing the plate current to zero.

verb (used without object)

• blocks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• blocked,
  past participle,  past
• blocking
  present participle

1. to act so as to obstruct an opponent, as in football, hockey, and basketball.

   He doesn't get many baskets, but he sure can block.

2. Theater. to block a play, act, scene, stage, etc..

   The director will block tomorrow.

3. to suffer a block.

verb phrase

1. block out

   1. block.

   2. Basketball. to box out.

2. block in / out to sketch or outline roughly or generally, without details.

   She blocked out a color scheme for the interiors.

idioms

1. put / go on the block, to offer or be offered for sale at auction.

   to put family heirlooms on the block.

Block ² American  

[blok] / blɒk /

noun

1. Herbert Lawrence Herblock, 1909–2001, U.S. cartoonist.

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block British  

/ blɒk /

noun

1. a large solid piece of wood, stone, or other material with flat rectangular sides, as for use in building

2. any large solid piece of wood, stone, etc, usually having at least one face fairly flat

3. such a piece on which particular tasks may be done, as chopping, cutting, or beheading

4. Also called: building block. one of a set of wooden or plastic cubes as a child's toy

5. a form on which things are shaped or displayed

   a wig block

6. slang a person's head (esp in the phrase knock someone's block off )

7. slang to become angry

8. a dull, unemotional, or hardhearted person

9. a large building of offices, flats, etc

10. 1. a group of buildings in a city bounded by intersecting streets on each side

    2. the area or distance between such intersecting streets

11. an area of land for a house, farm, etc

12. a log, usually a willow, fastened to a timber base and used in a wood-chopping competition

13. an area of land, esp one to be divided for building or settling

14. See cylinder block

15. 1. a piece of wood, metal, or other material having an engraved, cast, or carved design in relief, used either for printing or for stamping book covers, etc

    2. a letterpress printing plate, esp one mounted type-high on wood or metal

16. a casing housing one or more freely rotating pulleys See also block and tackle

17. up for auction

18. the act of obstructing or condition of being obstructed, as in sports

19. an obstruction or hindrance

20. pathol

    1. interference in the normal physiological functioning of an organ or part

    2. See heart block

    3. See nerve block

21. psychol a short interruption of perceptual or thought processes

22. obstruction of an opponent in a sport

23. 1. a section or quantity, as of tickets or shares, handled or considered as a single unit

    2. ( as modifier )

       a block booking

       block voting

24. 1. a stretch of railway in which only one train may travel at a time

    2. ( as modifier )

       a block signal

25. an unseparated group of four or more postage stamps Compare strip 1

26. a pad of paper

27. computing a group of words treated as a unit of data on a tape, disk, etc

28. athletics short for starting block

29. cricket a mark made near the popping crease by a batsman to indicate his position in relation to the wicket

30. informal a person who resembles one of his or her parents in behaviour

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verb

1. to shape or form (something) into a block

2. to fit with or mount on a block

3. to shape by use of a block

   to block a hat

4. (often foll by up) to obstruct (a passage, channel, etc) or prevent or impede the motion or flow of (something or someone) by introducing an obstacle

   to block the traffic

   to block up a pipe

5. to impede, retard, or prevent (an action, procedure, etc)

6. to stamp (a title, design, etc) on (a book cover, etc) by means of a block (see sense 12), esp using gold leaf or other foil

7. (esp of a government or central bank) to limit the use or conversion of assets or currency

8. (also intr) sport to obstruct or impede movement by (an opponent)

9. (intr) to suffer a psychological block

10. to interrupt a physiological function, as by use of an anaesthetic

11. (also intr) cricket to play (a ball) defensively

block More Idioms  

1. see chip off the old block; knock someone's block off; on the block; stumbling block.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blocker
  noun
• subblock
  noun
• reblock
  verb (used with object)
• blockable
  adjective
• unblocked
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• blocks
  plural

Participles

• blocking
  present
• blocked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• block
  simple
• blocks
  simple
• have blocked
  perfect
• has blocked
  perfect
• am blocking
  progressive
• are blocking
  progressive
• is blocking
  progressive
• have been blocking
  perfect progressive
• has been blocking
  perfect progressive

Past

• blocked
  simple
• had blocked
  perfect
• was blocking
  progressive
• were blocking
  progressive
• had been blocking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will block
  simple
• will have blocked
  perfect
• will be blocking
  progressive
• will have been blocking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of block

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English blok “log, stump,” from Middle French bloc, from Middle Dutch blok; perhaps akin to balk

Explanation

A block is a painted wooden cube that kids build with, or a squarish chunk of anything, like a block of cheese or cement. And if you block someone, you prevent them from going past by getting in the way. A sculptor might carve a bird out of a block of marble, and you might eat a whole block of chocolate after dinner. Another block is the row of buildings or houses between four streets: "I'm walking the dog around the block." When block is a verb it means "to obstruct," like when you block your dog from going near the cat food. All these meanings stem from the Old French root bloc, "block of wood."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

block Block blocks blocked blocking

The Salk researchers further showed that synthetic forms of vitamin D, including paricalcitol, could block liver fibrosis and pancreatitis in experimental models.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

Since the 1970s, scientists and the public have questioned the use of clearfell logging – where all trees in a block of forest are cut down.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

Now, the firm is breaking into prediction block trades for hedge funds, family offices and other institutions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

The Rams have improved in “that particular phase,” McVay said, “but you have to do it again” against a formidable Eagles field-goal block unit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

The next— here he was, less than a block from home.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville

The states also responded to briefs from the Block the Merger coalition, a group of press freedom and film organizations that has called the settlement weak and unenforceable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

Technical indicators speak to PayPal challenging Visa, Mastercard, and Block in coming months.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Cregg on Big Block of Cheese Day to lobby for a change to the map, blowing her mind in the process by literally turning her world upside down.

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026

"What did you do? You lost a bet or what? Block me and erase my number," Ibrahimovic said.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

But the thing was, the first time Miss Franny Block saw Winn-Dixie standing up on his hind legs like that, looking in the window, she didn’t think he was a dog.

From "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo

After a second miscarriage, the couple started looking into the Murphy drill site, which they knew was two blocks away, and learned about the violations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

The company also blocks agents from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and Perplexity, according to research from Billions Network.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Strength training works best when combined with adequate nutrition, particularly sufficient dietary protein, which provides the building blocks muscles need to repair and grow.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

For Jenga, it was how to add weight to the tiny blocks to make sure they could stack well—players still need to use a toothpick to slide them out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

In fact the only underground address we had at the moment was the home of a woman named De Boer, not four blocks from the Beje.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

My agents were often blocked by human-verification checks on websites such as the airline Lufthansa and hair-tools maker T3 Micro.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Following a lawsuit, the measure was blocked by a federal judge who ordered that the services, which were mandated by a 2008 law, be maintained.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

"Traffic on the bridge from the left to the right bank is currently blocked," he added.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Minutes after the Eagles blocked a late field-goal attempt, the Rams lined up for another one on the final play.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

What if the road was blocked by fallen trees and Mom was still sitting in the car while Dad walked to town?

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Apple’s latest version of iOS is blocking The Trade Desk from filling ad inventory on Safari.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Boutcher added that a "large scale criminal investigation" is under way into the unlawful blocking of Garvaghy Road, which prevented Sunday's parade.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

A local resident who rang the police said she saw a group of masked men near the vans, which were blocking a road in a village next to the military base.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

A shipping disaster in 2021 shows how blocking the strait — and thus severing a link to the Mediterranean Sea — could harm global commerce.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

Immovable, except for his gaze and his fingers stroking his gun, the man didn’t care that he was blocking the saloon’s doorway.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Related Words

• arrest
• bar
• blockade
• clog
• close
• close off
• cut off
• deter
• halt
• hinder
• hold up
• impede
• intercept
• obstruct
• prevent
• stall
• stop
• thwart