I. block 1 S2 W2 /blɒk $ blɑːk/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ block , ↑ unblock , ↑ blockade ; noun : ↑ block , ↑ blockage , ↑ blockade ; adjective : blocked, unblocked]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: bloc , from Middle Dutch blok ]
1 . SOLID MATERIAL a piece of hard material such as wood or stone with straight sides ⇨ ↑ breeze-block , ↑ building block , ↑ cinder block
block of
a block of ice
a wall made of concrete blocks
2 . STREETS/AREA
a) American English the distance along a city street from where one street crosses it to the next:
Head for 44th Street, a few blocks east of Sixth Avenue.
The church is down the block.
b) the four city streets that form a square around an area of buildings:
Let’s walk round the block.
She grew up playing with the other kids on the block.
c) Australian English a large piece of land:
a ten-acre block near the city
3 . LARGE BUILDING a large building divided into separate parts
block of
a block of flats
an office block
an apartment block
the school science block
4 . QUANTITY OF THINGS a quantity of things of the same kind, considered as a single unit
block of
New employees receive a block of shares in the firm.
Set aside blocks of time for doing your homework.
5 . block booking/voting an arrangement that is made for a whole group to buy something or to vote together
6 . INABILITY TO THINK [usually singular] the temporary loss of your normal ability to think, learn, write etc:
I have a mental block whenever I try to remember my password.
After his second novel, Garland had writer’s block (=he could not write anything) .
7 . STOPPING MOVEMENT [usually singular] something that prevents movement or progress
block to
a major block to progress
⇨ ↑ roadblock , ↑ stumbling block
8 . PUNISHMENT the block in the past, a solid block of wood on which someone’s head was cut off as a punishment
9 . put your head/neck on the block to risk destroying other people’s opinion of you or losing your job by doing or saying something:
I’m not prepared to put my head on the block for him.
10 . SPORT a movement in sport that stops an opponent going forward or playing the ball forward
11 . SELL go on the block to be sold, especially at an ↑ auction :
$500 million worth of art will go on the block.
⇨ ↑ block capitals , ↑ tower block , ⇨ be a chip off the old block at ↑ chip 1 (7), ⇨ I’ll knock your block off at ↑ knock 1 (24)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ types of block
▪ a block of flats British English
Three new blocks of flats were built on the land.
▪ an apartment block
I met him at his apartment block in Manhattan.
▪ an office block
She works in a 27-storey office block.
▪ a tower block (=very high and usually in a poor area)
She lived on the 17th floor of a tower block in East London.
▪ a tenement block (=an apartment block, usually in a poor area - used especially in Scotland)
We had a tiny flat in an Edinburgh tenement block.
▪ a high-rise block (=very high)
The area is full of monstrous concrete high-rise blocks.
▪ a multi-storey block (=having many levels)
Many shops and offices have been rebuilt in high multi-storey blocks.
II. block 2 S3 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ block , ↑ unblock , ↑ blockade ; noun : ↑ block , ↑ blockage , ↑ blockade ; adjective : blocked, unblocked]
1 . ( also block up ) to prevent anything moving through a space by being or placing something across it or in it:
A fallen tree is blocking the road.
The sink’s blocked up.
2 . block sb’s way/path/exit/escape etc to stand in front of someone, so that they cannot go past:
I tried to get through, but there were people blocking my way.
3 . to stop something happening, developing, or succeeding:
The Senate blocked publication of the report.
laws designed to block imports of cheap tobacco
4 . block sb’s view to be in front of someone, so that they cannot see something:
The huge building across the street blocked our view of the sea.
5 . ( also block out ) to stop light reaching a place:
Can you move? You’re blocking my light.
6 . to stop a ball, a blow etc from getting to where your opponent wants it to:
a shot blocked by the goalkeeper
block somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb
1 . to park your car too close to another car, so that the other one cannot drive away
2 . to paint or draw simple shapes or areas of colour:
I’ll just block in the main buildings.
block sth↔ off phrasal verb
to completely close something such as a road or an opening:
Police blocked off the city centre streets.
The fireplace had been blocked off.
block sth↔ out
1 . to stop light reaching a place:
There was a heavy curtain blocking out the light.
2 . to stop yourself thinking about something or remembering it:
a memory so terrible that she tried to block it out