butcher block

American  

noun

1. a slab of wood resembling that used for a butcher's chopping block, formed by bonding or gluing together thick laminated strips of unpainted wood, usually maple or oak, in alternating light and dark shades to produce a striped pattern.

2. a material, as vinyl, made to resemble butcher block in color and pattern.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• butcher-block
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of butcher block

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Gil was pouring money into the renovation, into things he probably shouldn’t have, putting extra-nice butcher block in the bathrooms.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

I keep my eyes peeled to decipher what’s on the plates and the butcher block.

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2025

The couple also chose to preserve the funky kitchen island — a walnut dresser with drawers; they freshened it up with a new butcher block countertop to match the others.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2024

The shop, whose black-and-white checkered interiors hold a butcher block, slicer and mincer, labels itself Asia’s first plant-based meat “butchery.”

From Washington Post • Oct. 5, 2022

The knife slides into the butcher block with a whisper.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson