blocks
noun · verb
Form of block , plural of block.
Simple meaning
A substantial, often about cuboid, piece of any substance.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
blahksIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈblɑks
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
plural of block
A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.
plural of block
A chopping block: a cuboid base for cutting or beheading.
plural of block
A wig block: a simplified head model upon which wigs are worn.
plural of block
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.
verb
third-person singular of block
To fill or obstruct (something) so that it is not possible to pass.
third-person singular of block
To prevent (something or someone) from passing.
third-person singular of block
To prevent (something from happening or someone from doing something).
third-person singular of block
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.
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, blocks 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.
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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.
A solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides).
Word family
Words built from the same root.
A football player whose responsibility is to block players attempting to stop an offensive play.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
Pulley blocks with associated rope or cable.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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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.