building block

noun

1. block.

2. one of a set of cube-shaped blocks used by children to make simple constructions.

3. a basic element or component.

   the building blocks of proteins.

building block

noun

1. a block of stone or other material, larger than a brick, used in building

2. a component that fits with others to form a whole

   standardized software building blocks

3. another name for (the child's toy) block

Word History and Origins

Origin of building block¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

This design allowed the researchers to see whether the brain reused the same neural patterns, or cognitive building blocks, whenever tasks shared certain features.

Read more on Science Daily

"The most convincing scenario is that most of the building blocks of Earth and Theia originated in the inner Solar System. Earth and Theia are likely to have been neighbors."

Read more on Science Daily

A Treasury source said: "Extending the DLR to Thamesmead will deliver much needed new homes, new jobs and quicker commutes - the building blocks for boosting growth, putting more pounds in pockets."

Read more on BBC

Nvidia's GPUs, originally designed for gaming systems, have become the essential building blocks of artificial intelligence applications, with tech giants scrambling to secure them for their data centers and AI projects.

Read more on Barron's

A key finding from the study is that the planetesimals forming within these bands were not the solar system's original building blocks.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• constituent 
• ingredient