block

block¹ W2S2 [blɔk US bla:k] n

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1¦(solid material)¦

2¦(streets/area)¦

3¦(large building)¦

4¦(quantity of things)¦

5 block booking/voting

6¦(inability to think)¦

7¦(stopping movement)¦

8¦(punishment)¦

9 put your head/neck on the block

10¦(sport)¦

11¦(sell)¦

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[Date: 1300-1400; : Old French; Origin: bloc, from Middle Dutch blok]

1.) ¦(SOLID MATERIAL)¦

a piece of hard material such as wood or stone with straight sides

2.) ¦(STREETS/AREA)¦

a) AmE 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) AusE 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.

▪ a system for storing large blocks of data

▪ 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 ↑chip¹ (7), I'll knock your block off at ↑knock¹ (24)

block ²

block² S3 v [T]

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 too many 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 in [block sb/sth<=>in] phr v

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 [block sth<=> off] phr v

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 [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