What does "block" mean?
A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.
Block
/blɒk/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.
- Grammar: block is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: cube, stop, admin block, afternoon study block.
- Useful contrasts: clear, clear educational value, clear goals.
- Usage evidence: Have you met the new family on the block?
How to use "block"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "block" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "block" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "block" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "block" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "block" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cube" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "block", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.
"a block of ice; a block of stone"
- 2 Misspelling of bloc. alt-of, misspelling
- 3 the act of obstructing or deflecting someone's movements wordnet
- 4 A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.; A chopping block: a cuboid base for cutting or beheading.
"Anne Boleyn placed her head on the block and awaited her execution."
- 5 a platform from which an auctioneer sells wordnet
Show 47 more definitions
- 6 A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.; A wig block: a simplified head model upon which wigs are worn.
"Next morning, Monday, after disposing of the embalmed head to a barber, for a block, I settled my own and comrade’s bill; using, however, my comrade’s money."
- 7 a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides) wordnet
- 8 A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.; A mould on which hats, bonnets, etc., are shaped.
"He wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block."
- 9 housing in a large building that is divided into separate units wordnet
- 10 A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.; A piece of hard wood on which a stereotype or electrotype plate is mounted. dated
- 11 an obstruction in a pipe or tube wordnet
- 12 A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.; 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.
- 13 a metal casting containing the cylinders and cooling ducts of an engine wordnet
- 14 A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.; A section of split logs used as fuel.
"She said, 'I hope I shall not be left to kill myself, but It would be no more sin to kill me, than to put a block on the fire.'"
- 15 a simple machine consisting of a wheel with a groove in which a rope can run to change the direction or point of application of a force applied to the rope wordnet
- 16 A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.; A set of sheets (of paper) joined together at one end, forming a cuboid shape.
"a block of 100 tickets"
- 17 an inability to remember or think of something you normally can do; often caused by emotional tension wordnet
- 18 A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.; The perch on which a bird of prey is kept.
- 19 a number or quantity of related things dealt with as a unit wordnet
- 20 A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.; In Conway's Game of Life, a still life consisting of four living cells arranged in a two-by-two square.
"But there are many queen bee configurations in which the debris is neutralized, including placement of a block or eater near the bee's turnaround point, or placing two queen bees in a line or at right angles in various positions and phases."
- 21 a rectangular area in a city surrounded by streets and usually containing several buildings wordnet
- 22 A physical area or extent of something, often rectangular or approximately rectangular.
"a block of text; a block of colour; a block of land"
- 23 (computer science) a sector or group of sectors that function as the smallest data unit permitted wordnet
- 24 A physical area or extent of something, often rectangular or approximately rectangular.; A joined group of four (or in some cases nine) postage stamps, forming a roughly square shape.
- 25 a three-dimensional shape with six square or rectangular sides wordnet
- 26 A physical area or extent of something, often rectangular or approximately rectangular.; A discrete group of vines in a vineyard, often distinguished from others by variety, clone, canopy training method, irrigation infrastructure, or some combination thereof.
- 27 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"
- 28 A logical extent or region; a grouping or apportionment of like things treated together as a unit.; A logical data storage unit containing one or more physical sectors.
"After one disk is mapped, the next block starts at address 0 on the next disk."
- 29 A logical extent or region; a grouping or apportionment of like things treated together as a unit.; A region of code in a program that acts as a single unit, such as a function or loop.
"With a foreach block, you don't need to create an explicit counter variable."
- 30 A logical extent or region; a grouping or apportionment of like things treated together as a unit.; A fixed-length group of bits making up part of a message.
- 31 A logical extent or region; a grouping or apportionment of like things treated together as a unit.; A portion of a macromolecule, comprising many units, that has at least one feature not present in adjacent portions.
- 32 A logical extent or region; a grouping or apportionment of like things treated together as a unit.; A section of a railroad where the block system is used.
- 33 A logical extent or region; a grouping or apportionment of like things treated together as a unit.; A contiguous range of Unicode code points used to encode characters of a specific type; can be of any size evenly divisible by 16, up to 65,536 (a full plane).
"The "Specials" block comprises the sixteen codepoints from U+FFF0 through U+FFFF."
- 34 A logical extent or region; a grouping or apportionment of like things treated together as a unit.; A yeargroup at Eton College.
- 35 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."
- 36 A contiguous group of urban lots of property, typically several acres in extent, not crossed by public streets.; The distance from one street to another in a city or suburb that is built (approximately) to a grid pattern.
"The place you are looking for is two long blocks east and one short block north."
- 37 A cuboid or approximately cuboid building.
"a block of flats; a tower block; an office block; a toilet block; a shower block"
- 38 A cuboid or approximately cuboid building.; A cellblock.
- 39 Something that prevents something from passing.
"There’s a block in the pipe that means the water can’t get through."
- 40 Something that prevents something from passing.; Interference or obstruction of cognitive processes.
"I work with writers/artists/others using artistic skills as a tool to explore blocks and free creative energy."
- 41 Something that prevents something from passing.; Any point on the board where two or more men rest, and consequently an opponent may not land.
- 42 Something that prevents something from passing.; An action to interfere with the movement of an opposing player or of the object of play (ball, puck).
"The match proved an unedifying spectacle until Spurs won a corner following their first move of real quality, John Mensah making an important block with Jermain Defoe poised to strike."
- 43 Something that prevents something from passing.; An action to interfere with the movement of an opposing player or of the object of play (ball, puck).; A shot played by holding the bat vertically in the path of the ball, so that it loses momentum and drops to the ground.
- 44 Something that prevents something from passing.; An action to interfere with the movement of an opposing player or of the object of play (ball, puck).; The position of a player or bat when guarding the wicket.
- 45 Something that prevents something from passing.; An action to interfere with the movement of an opposing player or of the object of play (ball, puck).; A blockhole.
- 46 Something that prevents something from passing.; An action to interfere with the movement of an opposing player or of the object of play (ball, puck).; The popping crease.
- 47 Something that prevents something from passing.; An action to interfere with the movement of an opposing player or of the object of play (ball, puck).; A defensive play by one or more players meant to deflect a spiked ball back to the hitter’s court.
- 48 Something that prevents something from passing.; An action to interfere with the movement of an opposing player or of the object of play (ball, puck).; The portion of the movement where a gymnast pushes off the vault.
"While it might seem like she should bend her elbows in order to spring up — the way you bend your knees in order to jump — a good block actually requires the gymnast to keep her arms straight and use her shoulder strength to launch into the air."
- 49 Something that prevents something from passing.; A temporary or permanent ban that prevents access to an online account or service, or connection to or from a designated telephone number, IP address, or similar.
"The Wiktionary page-blanking vandal was hit with an indefinite block."
- 50 The human head. slang
"I’ll knock your block off!"
- 51 Solitary confinement. UK
- 52 A blockhead; a stupid person; a dolt. obsolete
"What a block art thou!"
Verb
- 1 To fill or obstruct (something) so that it is not possible to pass. transitive
"The pipe was blocked by leaves."
- 2 prohibit the conversion or use of (assets) wordnet
- 3 To prevent (something or someone) from passing. transitive
"A broken-down car is blocking the traffic."
- 4 shape into a block or blocks wordnet
- 5 To prevent (something from happening or someone from doing something). transitive
"His plan to take over the business was blocked by the boss."
Show 25 more definitions
- 6 shape by using a block wordnet
- 7 To impede (an opponent or opponent’s play). transitive
"He blocked the basketball player’s shot."
- 8 be unable to remember wordnet
- 9 To specify the positions and movements of the actors for (a section of a play or film). transitive
"It was very difficult to block this scene convincingly."
- 10 interfere with or prevent the reception of signals wordnet
- 11 To hit with a block. transitive
- 12 impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball) wordnet
- 13 To play a block shot. intransitive
- 14 support, secure, or raise with a block wordnet
- 15 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
"I tried to send you a message, but you’ve blocked me!"
- 16 block passage through wordnet
- 17 To bar (a message or communication), or bar connection with (an online account or service, a designated telephone number, IP address, etc.). transitive
"They’ve blocked all calls to international numbers."
- 18 render unsuitable for passage wordnet
- 19 To wait for some condition to become true. intransitive
"When the condition expression is false, the thread blocks on the condition variable."
- 20 obstruct wordnet
- 21 To stretch or mould (a knitted item, a hat, etc.) into the desired shape. transitive
"I blocked the mittens by wetting them and pinning them to a shaped piece of cardboard."
- 22 stamp or emboss a title or design on a book with a block wordnet
- 23 To shape or sketch out roughly. transitive
"When drawing a scene, first block the main features, and then fill in the detail."
- 24 shut out from view or get in the way so as to hide from sight wordnet
- 25 To experience mental block or creative block. intransitive
"As I started to read the stories I thought, "I have to write my story," but I blocked on it for six months. I couldn't write anything else while I couldn't write my coming out story. It seemed to me a subterfuge to turn out an anthology of coming out stories which didn't have my story in it."
- 26 interrupt the normal function of by means of anesthesia wordnet
- 27 To knock the hat of (a person) down over their eyes. obsolete, slang, transitive
- 28 run on a block system wordnet
- 29 hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of wordnet
- 30 stop from happening or developing wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
"The major themes in Francesca Lia Block's books include the necessity of love and the acceptance of and celebration of racial and sexual difference."
- 2 A surname.; A surname from the Germanic languages; A surname from German countable, uncountable
- 3 A surname.; A surname from the Germanic languages; A surname from Dutch countable, uncountable
- 4 A surname.; A surname from the Germanic languages; An English surname countable, uncountable
- 5 A surname.; A Jewish surname countable, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 An unincorporated community in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. countable, uncountable
- 7 An unincorporated community in Miami County, Kansas, United States. countable, uncountable
- 8 An unincorporated community in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Have you met the new family on the block?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "block"?
Common synonyms include: cube, stop, admin block, afternoon study block, afterthought, agate.
How do you use "block" in a sentence?
Have you met the new family on the block?
How do you pronounce "block"?
Pronounced /blɒk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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”). Cognate with Old Frisian blok, Old Saxon blok, Old High German bloh, bloc (“block”), Old English bolca (“gangway of a ship, plank”), Old Norse bǫlkr (“divider, partition”). More at balk. See also bloc, bulk.
Etymology 2
* A Germanic surname (German, Dutch and English), from German Block and Dutch blok respectively. As an English surname from the same cognate, block. * As a Jewish surname, Americanized from Bloch. Also see Vlach.