blocking
Americannoun
noun
-
electronics the interruption of anode current in a valve because of the application of a high negative voltage to the grid
-
internal congestion in a communication system that prevents the transmission of information
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of blocking
Explanation
When you obstruct someone from seeing or doing something, that's blocking. In most sports, blocking your opponent is a huge part of playing the game. Blocking the player who's trying to make a basket is one kind of blocking. There's also blocking a street for the neighborhood block party, or blocking your ex-friend on social media. In each case, you're cutting off access in some way. In theater, the word takes on a different meaning, "the staging of actors." This use stems from the 19th-century theater, when directors would frequently use wooden blocks to plan out the actors' positions on a miniature stage.
Vocabulary lists containing blocking
Academic and Literary Vocabulary, Unit 2
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Academic Vocabulary and Literary Terms, Unit 5
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The Black Girl Survives in This One
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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.
Millions of Peruvians hold darker memories of her father and refuse to vote for anyone bearing the Fujimori name, blocking her path to the presidency three times.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Roy said accused Feldstein Soto of inappropriately blocking an affordable housing project in Venice.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
The Washington DC venue cannot be renamed without congressional approval, the judge ruled on Friday, also blocking the centre's temporary closure during upcoming proposed renovations.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
To explore whether blocking IL-6 could improve depression symptoms, researchers launched a four-week randomized controlled trial involving people with treatment-resistant depression who also showed signs of low-grade inflammation in blood tests.
From Science Daily • May 28, 2026
Only a silent, shadowy maze of tall trees, blocking out the dim light of dawn.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
