English

Homophones

• bloc

Noun

block

1. A substantial, approximately cuboid , piece of any substance.

   block of ice

   block of stone

2. A building containing several apartments, houses, businesses, etc and demarcated by streets.

   block of flats

   I'm going for a walk around the block.

3. The distance from one street to another in a city that is built to a grid pattern.

   The place you are looking for is two blocks in that direction.

4. A cuboid of wood, plastic or other material used as a base on which to cut something.

   Anne Boleyn placed her head on the block and awaited her execution.

5. A set of sheets (of paper) joined together at one end.

   block of 100 tickets

6. Something that prevents something from passing.

   There's a block in the pipe that means the water can't get through.

7. A shot played by holding he bat vertically in the path of the ball, so that it loses momentum and drops to the ground.
8. (nautical) A wooden case with one or more sheaves, used with ropes as part of the rigging of a sailing ship
9. (slang) The human head
   • I'll knock your block off

Translations

• Catalan: (2): illa f
• Chinese: 大塊 /大块 (dakuai) 大樓 /大楼 , 大廈 /大厦 , 街區 /街区 , 障礙物 /障碍物 , 阻礙 /阻碍
• Dutch: blok
• Finnish: (2): kortteli
• French: (1): bloc m; (2): pâté m; (3): rue f; (4) : billot m; (6): obstruction f
• German: (1, 4): Block m, Klotz m; (2): Häuserblock m; (6) Blockade f
• Italian: (1): blocco m
• Japanese: 塊 (かたまり ), まな板 (まないた ), 区画 (くかく), 障害物 (しょうがいぶつ), 断頭台 (だんとうだい), アパート
• Spanish: (2): manzana f

Transitive verb

to block (present participle blocking, past tense and past participle blocked)

1. To fill (something) so that it is not possible to pass.

   The pipe is blocked.

2. To prevent (something or someone) from passing.

   You're blocking the road - I can't get through.

3. To prevent (something from happening or someone from doing something).

   His plan to take over the business was blocked by the boss.

4. Sports: A defensive technique

   He blocked the basketball player's shot.

   The linebackers tried to block the blitz.

5. (theater) To specify the positions and movements of the actors.

   It was very difficult to block this scene convincingly.

6. (cricket) To hit the ball with a block.

Intransitive verb

1. (cricket) To play a block shot.

Related terms

• apartment block
• around the block
• block capitals
• block of flats
• block party
• block vote
• blockage
• blockbuster
• blockhead
• blocking
• building block
• chopping block
• city block
• from the block
• mental block
• stage blocking