blocking

American  

[blok-ing] / ˈblɒk ɪŋ /

noun

Carpentry.

1. a number of small pieces of wood for filling interstices, or for spacing, joining, or reinforcing members.

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blocking British  

/ ˈblɒkɪŋ /

noun

1. electronics the interruption of anode current in a valve because of the application of a high negative voltage to the grid

2. internal congestion in a communication system that prevents the transmission of information

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Other Word Forms

• nonblocking
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of blocking

First recorded in 1575–85; block + -ing ¹

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.

Example Sentences

Major floods in Dagestan, protests from farmers against an animal cull in Siberia and authorities blocking attempts to organise protests against the internet outages have also led to localised pockets of frustration.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

To make the system less dysfunctional, California could restrict localities from blocking transit, just like it did with housing, Schank said, on the basis it is a critical need.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Tehran responded by blocking the crucial waterway through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

Activating the blocking rules and humiliating Meta on the eve of that meeting reflects a leader who assumes his counterpart will arrive anyway—and pay for the privilege.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

“Oh, you haven’t even begun to see just how ‘nice’ we are, lady,” Juanita broke in, her Amazonian frame blocking Papá as she stood in front of my sisters protectively.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Related Words

• battle
• defiance
• fight
• intransigence
• protection
• refusal
• struggle
• support