I.
noun
1 solid piece of sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ big , huge , large , massive
▪ small
▪ solid
▪ cement , concrete , ice , stone , wood , wooden
▪ building
▪ rectangular
▪ starting (for a runner)
▪
I was aiming to be first out of the starting ~s.
▪ stumbling ( figurative )
▪
The issue has been a major stumbling ~ in trade negotiations.
▪ breeze ( BrE ), cinder ( AmE )
PHRASES
▪ on the chopping ~
▪
I'm not putting my head on the chopping ~ ( = putting myself at risk ) for you.
2 ( BrE ) large building divided into offices, etc.
ADJECTIVE
▪ high-rise , tower
▪ tenement ( BrE )
▪ administration , apartment , cell , office
▪
The prisoners had been transferred to a different cell ~.
PREPOSITION
▪ in a/the ~
▪
She lives in a modern apartment ~.
▪ ~ of
▪
a ~ of flats
3 group of buildings with streets around it
ADJECTIVE
▪ city
▪
The hotel occupies an entire ~.
PREPOSITION
▪ around the ~ , round the ~ ( esp. BrE )
▪
People were queueing round the ~ to get in. ( BrE )
▪
Fans lined up around the ~ to get tickets for the show. ( AmE )
▪ ~ from ( AmE )
▪
We're about four ~s from my house.
▪ ~ down ( AmE )
▪
They walked a few ~s down the street.
4 temporary loss of abilities
ADJECTIVE
▪ mental , writer's
▪
The author denies that she is experiencing writer's ~.
VERB + BLOCK
▪ experience , have , suffer from
▪
I suddenly had a mental ~ and couldn't remember his name.
II.
verb
1 make it difficult to pass
ADVERB
▪ completely
▪ almost
▪ partially , partly
▪ off , up
▪
The old route is completely ~ed off.
▪
Don't ~ up the corridor with all these boxes.
VERB + BLOCK
▪ try to
▪ move to
▪
One of the men moved to ~ their path.
PREPOSITION
▪ with
▪
The exit was ~ed with beer crates.
2 prevent sth being done
ADVERB
▪ successfully
▪ effectively
▪
The new rules would effectively ~ protesters' attempts to assert their rights.
VERB + BLOCK
▪ attempt to , seek to , try to
▪ move to
▪
The group has moved to ~ the government's proposals.
PHRASAL VERB
block sth out
ADVERB
▪ completely
▪
Black clouds had completely ~ed out the sun.
▪ almost