block
A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.
Noun 4 meanings
A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.
“a block of ice; a block of stone”
A physical area or extent of something, often rectangular or approximately rectangular.
“a block of text; a block of colour; a block of land”
A logical extent or region; a grouping or apportionment of like things treated together as a unit.
“a block of data; a block of seven days; a block reservation”
A contiguous group of urban lots of property, typically several acres in extent, not crossed by public streets.
“I’m going for a walk around the block.”
Verb 4 meanings
To fill or obstruct (something) so that it is not possible to pass.
“The pipe was blocked by leaves.”
To prevent (something or someone) from passing.
“A broken-down car is blocking the traffic.”
To prevent (something from happening or someone from doing something).
“His plan to take over the business was blocked by the boss.”
To impede (an opponent or opponent’s play).
“He blocked the basketball player’s shot.”
Etymology
From Middle English blok (“log, stump, solid piece”), from Old French bloc (“log, block”), from Middle Dutch blok (“treetrunk”), from Old Dutch *blok (“log”), from Proto-West Germanic *blokk, from Proto-Germanic *blukką (“beam, log”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵ- (“thick plank, beam, pile, prop”).
Similar and opposite words
BLOCK at a glance
BLOCK has 5 letters and scores 13 points in Scrabble (B 3 + L 1 + O 1 + C 3 + K 5) and 16 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #1,344 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with block
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