building block

American  

noun

• building blocks
  plural

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.

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building block British  

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• building blocks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of building block

First recorded in 1840–50

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

building block

Promotional images and films conjured a playful, adaptable and benevolent house — plastic as the building block of family happiness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Their basic building block measures just 10cm by 10cm by 10cm - think of something about the size of a Rubik's Cube.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Now, it is set to become another building block in Sprecher’s empire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers found that tubulin, a protein that serves as the building block of microtubules, may help prevent these toxic accumulations.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

Using sun-dried brick as a basic building block, the Mesopotamians devised complex cities centered around the temple.

From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell

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Related Words

• constituent
• ingredient

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