block
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A substantial, often about cuboid, piece of any substance.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
blahkIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈblɑk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.
A wig block: a simplified head model upon which wigs are worn.
A mould on which hats, bonnets, etc., are shaped.
A case or frame housing one or more sheaves (pulleys), used with ropes to increase or redirect force, for example as part of lifting gear or a sailing ship's rigging. See also block and tackle.
A section of split logs used as fuel.
A set of sheets (of paper) joined together at one end, forming a cuboid shape.
verb
transitive
To fill or obstruct (something) so that it is not possible to pass.
transitive
To prevent (something or someone) from passing.
transitive
To prevent (something from happening or someone from doing something).
transitive
To bar (impose a ban on a person or bot, etc.) from connecting via telephone, instant messaging, etc., or from accessing an online account or service, or similar.
transitive
To bar (a message or communication), or bar connection with (an online account or service, a designated telephone number, IP address, etc.).
transitive
To stretch or mould (a knitted item, a hat, etc.) into the desired shape.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner (estimated)
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- General English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.
Used this way, block is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use block
- “He lives in the next block.”noun
- “The pyramids were built with large stone blocks.”noun
- “I knew his name perfectly well but I had a temporary block.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The act of obstructing or deflecting someone's movements.
A football player whose responsibility is to block players attempting to stop an offensive play.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Obstruct access to.
Plan where and when songs should be inserted into a theatrical production, or plan a theatrical production in general.
A small plane used on end grains of wood.
Render unsuitable for passage.
A vote proportional in magnitude to the number of people that a delegate represents.
A class of drugs that inhibit (block) some biological process.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A large bomb used to demolish extensive areas (as a city block).
The physical condition of blocking or filling a passage with an obstruction.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.