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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
block noun 1 a mass of solid wood, stone, ice or other hard material, usually with flat sides. 2 a a piece of wood or stone, etc used for chopping and cutting on; b (the block) historical a piece of wood used for beheading, across which the condemned person laid their neck. 3 a wooden or plastic cube, used as a child's toy. 4 slang a person's head • knock his block off. 5 a large building containing offices, flats, etc. N Amer equivalent apartment house or apartment building. 6 a a group of buildings with roads on all four sides • Let's take a walk around the block; b the distance from one end of such a group of buildings to the other • lives about a block away. 7 Austral, NZ an extensive area of land for settlement or farming, etc. 8 a compact mass, group or set. 9 a group of seats, tickets, votes, data, shares, etc thought of as a single unit. 10 something which causes or acts as a stopping of movement or progress, etc; an obstruction. Also in compounds • road block. 11 often in compounds a psychological barrier preventing progress in thought or development, etc • writer's block • a mental block. 12 sport, especially Amer football obstruction of an opposing player. 13 athletics, often in plural a starting-block • fast off the block. 14 (also nerve block) medicine the obstruction of nerve impulses to a particular area of the body by means of an injection of local anaesthetic. 15 a piece of wood or metal which has been cut to be used in printing. 16 engineering a pulley or set of pulleys mounted in a case, often with rope or chain passing over it, used as part of a lifting tackle. See also block and tackle. verb (blocked, blocking) 1 to obstruct or impede; to put an obstacle in the way of someone or something. 2 to print (a design, title, etc) on (the cover of a book, piece of material, etc). 3 cricket to stop (a ball) with one's bat held upright and touching on the ground. 4 tr & intr, sport to obstruct the play or action of (an opposing player). 5 medicine to interrupt or obstruct (a normal physiological function), such as a nerve impulse, eg with an anaesthetic. 6 theat to practise the moves in (a scene, etc). blocked adj. See also blocked style. do one's block slang, chiefly Austral & NZ to become very angry or excited; to lose one's temper.
ETYMOLOGY: 14c: from French bloc.
block someone or something in 1 to prevent them or it from moving or from getting out; to confine them. 2 to draw or sketch them or it roughly, often simply to show their position in a layout. block something off to restrict or limit the use of (an area or place, etc) • The police have blocked off several streets. block something out 1 to shut out (eg light, or an idea, etc). 2 to draw or sketch it roughly. 3 theat to practise the moves in (a scene, etc). block something up 1 to block it completely. 2 to fill (a window or doorway, etc) with bricks, etc. |
block noun 1 a mass of solid wood, stone, ice or other hard material, usually with flat sides. 2 a a piece of wood or stone, etc used for chopping and cutting on; b (the block) historical a piece of wood used for beheading, across which the condemned person laid their neck. 3 a wooden or plastic cube, used as a child's toy. 4 slang a person's head • knock his block off. 5 a large building containing offices, flats, etc. N Amer equivalent apartment house or apartment building. 6 a a group of buildings with roads on all four sides • Let's take a walk around the block; b the distance from one end of such a group of buildings to the other • lives about a block away. 7 Austral, NZ an extensive area of land for settlement or farming, etc. 8 a compact mass, group or set. 9 a group of seats, tickets, votes, data, shares, etc thought of as a single unit. 10 something which causes or acts as a stopping of movement or progress, etc; an obstruction. Also in compounds • road block. 11 often in compounds a psychological barrier preventing progress in thought or development, etc • writer's block • a mental block. 12 sport, especially Amer football obstruction of an opposing player. 13 athletics, often in plural a starting-block • fast off the block. 14 (also nerve block) medicine the obstruction of nerve impulses to a particular area of the body by means of an injection of local anaesthetic. 15 a piece of wood or metal which has been cut to be used in printing. 16 engineering a pulley or set of pulleys mounted in a case, often with rope or chain passing over it, used as part of a lifting tackle. See also block and tackle. verb (blocked, blocking) 1 to obstruct or impede; to put an obstacle in the way of someone or something. 2 to print (a design, title, etc) on (the cover of a book, piece of material, etc). 3 cricket to stop (a ball) with one's bat held upright and touching on the ground. 4 tr & intr, sport to obstruct the play or action of (an opposing player). 5 medicine to interrupt or obstruct (a normal physiological function), such as a nerve impulse, eg with an anaesthetic. 6 theat to practise the moves in (a scene, etc). blocked adj. See also blocked style. do one's block slang, chiefly Austral & NZ to become very angry or excited; to lose one's temper.
ETYMOLOGY: 14c: from French bloc.
block someone or something in 1 to prevent them or it from moving or from getting out; to confine them. 2 to draw or sketch them or it roughly, often simply to show their position in a layout. block something off to restrict or limit the use of (an area or place, etc) • The police have blocked off several streets. block something out 1 to shut out (eg light, or an idea, etc). 2 to draw or sketch it roughly. 3 theat to practise the moves in (a scene, etc). block something up 1 to block it completely. 2 to fill (a window or doorway, etc) with bricks, etc. |
block noun 1 a mass of solid wood, stone, ice or other hard material, usually with flat sides. 2 a a piece of wood or stone, etc used for chopping and cutting on; b (the block) historical a piece of wood used for beheading, across which the condemned person laid their neck. 3 a wooden or plastic cube, used as a child's toy. 4 slang a person's head • knock his block off. 5 a large building containing offices, flats, etc. N Amer equivalent apartment house or apartment building. 6 a a group of buildings with roads on all four sides • Let's take a walk around the block; b the distance from one end of such a group of buildings to the other • lives about a block away. 7 Austral, NZ an extensive area of land for settlement or farming, etc. 8 a compact mass, group or set. 9 a group of seats, tickets, votes, data, shares, etc thought of as a single unit. 10 something which causes or acts as a stopping of movement or progress, etc; an obstruction. Also in compounds • road block. 11 often in compounds a psychological barrier preventing progress in thought or development, etc • writer's block • a mental block. 12 sport, especially Amer football obstruction of an opposing player. 13 athletics, often in plural a starting-block • fast off the block. 14 (also nerve block) medicine the obstruction of nerve impulses to a particular area of the body by means of an injection of local anaesthetic. 15 a piece of wood or metal which has been cut to be used in printing. 16 engineering a pulley or set of pulleys mounted in a case, often with rope or chain passing over it, used as part of a lifting tackle. See also block and tackle. verb (blocked, blocking) 1 to obstruct or impede; to put an obstacle in the way of someone or something. 2 to print (a design, title, etc) on (the cover of a book, piece of material, etc). 3 cricket to stop (a ball) with one's bat held upright and touching on the ground. 4 tr & intr, sport to obstruct the play or action of (an opposing player). 5 medicine to interrupt or obstruct (a normal physiological function), such as a nerve impulse, eg with an anaesthetic. 6 theat to practise the moves in (a scene, etc). blocked adj. See also blocked style. do one's block slang, chiefly Austral & NZ to become very angry or excited; to lose one's temper.
ETYMOLOGY: 14c: from French bloc.
block someone or something in 1 to prevent them or it from moving or from getting out; to confine them. 2 to draw or sketch them or it roughly, often simply to show their position in a layout. block something off to restrict or limit the use of (an area or place, etc) • The police have blocked off several streets. block something out 1 to shut out (eg light, or an idea, etc). 2 to draw or sketch it roughly. 3 theat to practise the moves in (a scene, etc). block something up 1 to block it completely. 2 to fill (a window or doorway, etc) with bricks, etc. |
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The Chambers Dictionary (13th edition)
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The Chambers Thesaurus
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Chambers Biographical Dictionary
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Thoroughly revised and updated for its 9th edition.
Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
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