block
noun
a solid mass of wood, stone, etc., usually with one or more flat or approximately flat faces.
block
1 American
[blok]
/ blɒk /
noun
-
blocks
plural
-
a solid mass of wood, stone, etc., usually with one or more flat or approximately flat faces.
-
a hollow masonry building unit of cement, terracotta, etc..
a wall made of concrete blocks.
-
one of a set of cube-shaped pieces of wood, plastic, or the like, used as a child's toy in building.
-
a mold or piece on which something is shaped or kept in shape.
a hat block.
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a piece of wood used in the art of making woodcuts or wood engravings.
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Printing. the base on which a plate is mounted to make it type-high.
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a projection left on a squared stone to provide a means of lifting it.
-
a short length of plank serving as a bridging, as between joists.
-
a stump or wooden structure on which a condemned person is beheaded.
Mary Stuart went bravely to the block.
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Machinery. a part enclosing one or more freely rotating, grooved pulleys, about which ropes or chains pass to form a hoisting or hauling tackle.
-
an obstacle, obstruction, or hindrance.
His stubbornness is a block to all my efforts.
- Synonyms:
- jam, stoppage, barrier, blockade, impediment
-
the state or condition of being obstructed; blockage.
The traffic block lasted several hours.
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Pathology.
-
an obstruction, as of a nerve.
-
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Sports. a hindering of an opponent's actions.
-
a quantity, portion, or section taken as a unit or dealt with at one time.
a large block of theater tickets.
-
a small section of a city, town, etc., enclosed by neighboring and intersecting streets.
She lives on my block.
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the length of one side of such a section.
We walked two blocks over.
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Chiefly British. a large building divided into separate apartments, offices, shops, etc.
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a large number of bonds or shares of stock sold together as a single unit.
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Computers.
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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.
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a section of storage locations in a computer allocated to a particular set of instructions or data.
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a group of consecutive machine words organized as a unit and guiding a particular computer operation, especially with reference to input and output.
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(on a flow chart) a symbol representing an operation, device, or instruction in a computer program.
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Railroads. any of the short lengths into which a track is divided for signaling purposes.
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Philately. a group of four or more unseparated stamps, not in a strip.
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Slang. a person's head.
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Glassmaking. a wooden or metal cup for blocking a gather.
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an obstruction or stoppage in mental processes or speech, especially when related to stress, emotional conflict, etc.
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Geology.
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any large, angular mass of solid rock.
-
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(in Canada) a wild or remote area of land that has not yet been surveyed.
the Peace River block.
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Automotive. cylinder block.
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Falconry. a low perch to which a falcon is tethered outdoors.
verb (used with object)
-
blocks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
blocked,
past participle, past
-
blocking
present participle
-
to obstruct (someone or something) by placing obstacles in the way (sometimes followed byup ).
to block one's exit;
to block up a passage.
-
to fit with blocks; mount on a block.
-
to shape or prepare on or with a block.
to block a hat;
to block a sweater.
-
to join (the ends of boards or the like) by fastening to a block of wood.
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Theater.
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Also block out. to plan or work out the movement of performers in a play, pageant, etc..
Tomorrow we'll block act one.
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to draw a floor plan on (a stage) in order to indicate placement of scenery, stage property, etc.
-
-
Pathology, Physiology. to stop the passage of impulses in (a nerve).
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Computers. to group (contiguous data) together so as to allow to be read or written in a single operation.
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Sports. to hinder or bar the actions or movements of (an opposing player), especially legitimately.
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Glassmaking.
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to shape (a molten gather) in a wet cup of wood or metal.
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to plunge a block of wood into (molten glass) to aid in refining the glass.
-
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Metalworking. to give (a forging) a rough form before finishing.
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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
-
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.
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Theater. to block a play, act, scene, stage, etc..
The director will block tomorrow.
-
to suffer a block.
verb phrase
-
block out
-
Basketball. to box out.
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block in / out to sketch or outline roughly or generally, without details.
She blocked out a color scheme for the interiors.
idioms
Block
2
American
[blok]
/ blɒk /
noun
block
British
/ blɒk /
noun
-
a large solid piece of wood, stone, or other material with flat rectangular sides, as for use in building
-
any large solid piece of wood, stone, etc, usually having at least one face fairly flat
-
such a piece on which particular tasks may be done, as chopping, cutting, or beheading
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Also called: building block. one of a set of wooden or plastic cubes as a child's toy
-
a form on which things are shaped or displayed
a wig block
-
slang a person's head (esp in the phrase knock someone's block off )
-
slang to become angry
-
a dull, unemotional, or hardhearted person
-
a large building of offices, flats, etc
-
-
a group of buildings in a city bounded by intersecting streets on each side
-
the area or distance between such intersecting streets
-
-
an area of land for a house, farm, etc
-
a log, usually a willow, fastened to a timber base and used in a wood-chopping competition
-
an area of land, esp one to be divided for building or settling
-
See cylinder block
-
-
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
-
a letterpress printing plate, esp one mounted type-high on wood or metal
-
-
a casing housing one or more freely rotating pulleys See also block and tackle
-
up for auction
-
the act of obstructing or condition of being obstructed, as in sports
-
an obstruction or hindrance
-
pathol
-
interference in the normal physiological functioning of an organ or part
-
See heart block
-
See nerve block
-
-
psychol a short interruption of perceptual or thought processes
-
obstruction of an opponent in a sport
-
-
a section or quantity, as of tickets or shares, handled or considered as a single unit
-
( as modifier )
a block booking
block voting
-
-
-
a stretch of railway in which only one train may travel at a time
-
( as modifier )
a block signal
-
-
an unseparated group of four or more postage stamps Compare strip 1
-
a pad of paper
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computing a group of words treated as a unit of data on a tape, disk, etc
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athletics short for starting block
-
cricket a mark made near the popping crease by a batsman to indicate his position in relation to the wicket
-
informal a person who resembles one of his or her parents in behaviour
verb
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to shape or form (something) into a block
-
to fit with or mount on a block
-
to shape by use of a block
to block a hat
-
(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
-
to impede, retard, or prevent (an action, procedure, etc)
-
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
-
(esp of a government or central bank) to limit the use or conversion of assets or currency
-
(also intr) sport to obstruct or impede movement by (an opponent)
-
(intr) to suffer a psychological block
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to interrupt a physiological function, as by use of an anaesthetic
-
(also intr) cricket to play (a ball) defensively
block
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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blocksimple
-
blockssimple
-
have blockedperfect
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has blockedperfect
-
am blockingprogressive
-
are blockingprogressive
-
is blockingprogressive
-
have been blockingperfect progressive
-
has been blockingperfect progressive
Past
-
blockedsimple
-
had blockedperfect
-
was blockingprogressive
-
were blockingprogressive
-
had been blockingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing block
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The AGs also claim Meta violates the 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act because it doesn’t do enough to block underage users who misrepresent their age.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
There, Hodgkinson improved her British record off the back of a training block focused on developing her 400m speed, before beginning her 800m-specific work leading into the summer's main targets.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Construction equipment and safety barriers litter the block.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
That total is the size of the block you’re considering.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
According to the bold block letters at the bottom of the picture, this postcard was sent from Alaska.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Block described staring up at the gallery wall, transfixed by the horror.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Never in my life have I looked at the car market and gone, ‘God, there’s just nothing I want,’” Mark Block said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
The flood was strong enough to sweep a 10,000-ton fragment of the dam, called Block 29, a full quarter-mile and to destroy a steel bridge on the Santa Clara River nine miles away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
At the end of one beef supply chain is Paul and Jessica Urban, who own Block 16, a burger restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
After the preacher and Otis were done shaking hands, I introduced Otis to Miss Franny Block and to Amanda.
From "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo
For David Harbour, it was the messages pouring in from friends — not the usual “great job!” an actor receives when a program is airing, but long blocks of text, paragraphs dripping with emotion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Nonprofit developers have adopted a strategy of rehabilitating entire blocks at once, and violent crime has plummeted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
And they could keep rising for a few more years due to a persistent shortage of the building blocks of AI networks, said Shawn DuBravac, chief economist of the Global Electronics Association.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that assemble to form proteins, which are the body's building blocks.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
We don’t fall right into a rhythm the way we used to, and after a couple of blocks I realize what’s changed.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Those efforts were blocked by the Revolutionary Guard, which went back to attacking ships.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
A federal judge previously ruled that the board could not rename the Kennedy Center without congressional approval and blocked an earlier closure plan.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
The situation in Qusra began on Sunday when settlers blocked the road to the Palestinian families' gates and cut off their power and water supplies.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
A judge had also blocked that plan, but said it could be reconsidered after further review.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
They had gone only a few yards when a huge fallen tree blocked their way.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
In videos posted to social media, he also was captured hitting a blocking sled at UCLA, and going through speed and agility drills at the Rams’ facility in Woodland Hills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
He has been receiving private instruction to understand his role of blocking specific defenders and adjusting when linebackers blitz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Cambridge researchers have uncovered why both activating and blocking the same brain receptor can promote weight loss.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
Wikipedia is also highly cited, but sources tell me the gatekeepers to Wiki pages are even stricter than Reddit mods when it comes to blocking promotional amendments, and rightly so.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Clare raced in front of her, blocking her from entering the woods.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
