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definitions

building block

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR building block ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

block(def 2).
one of a set of cube-shaped blocks used by children to make simple constructions.
a basic element or component: the building blocks of proteins.

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RELATED WORDS

constituent, ingredient, monad, part, piece, segment, unit

Nearby words

  1. builder,
  2. builder's knot,
  3. buildering,
  4. building,
  5. building and loan association,
  6. building line,
  7. building paper,
  8. building permit,
  9. building society,
  10. building trades

Origin of building block

First recorded in 1840–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for building block

building block

noun

a block of stone or other material, larger than a brick, used in building
a component that fits with others to form a wholestandardized software building blocks
another name for (the child's toy) block
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012