Definition "block" in the Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus

block
n

1 a large solid piece of wood, stone, or other material with flat rectangular sides, as for use in building

2 any large solid piece of wood, stone, etc., usually having at least one face fairly flat

3 such a piece on which particular tasks may be done, as chopping, cutting, or beheading

4 (Also called) building block one of a set of wooden or plastic cubes as a child's toy

5 a form on which things are shaped or displayed
a wig block

6 Slang a person's head (esp. in the phrase knock someone's block off)

7 ♦ do one's block (Austral. and N.Z.)
slang to become angry

8 a dull, unemotional, or hardhearted person

9 a large building of offices, flats, etc

a a group of buildings in a city bounded by intersecting streets on each side

b the area or distance between such intersecting streets

11 (Austral. and N.Z.) an area of land for a house, farm, etc

12 (Austral. and N.Z.) a log, usually a willow, fastened to a timber base and used in a wood-chopping competition

13 an area of land, esp. one to be divided for building or settling

14 See → cylinder block

a a piece of wood, metal, or other material having an engraved, cast, or carved design in relief, used either for printing or for stamping book covers, etc

b (Brit) a letterpress printing plate, esp. one mounted type-high on wood or metal

16 a casing housing one or more freely rotating pulleys
See also → block and tackle

17 ♦ on the block (Chiefly U.S. and Canadian) up for auction

18 the act of obstructing or condition of being obstructed, as in sports

19 an obstruction or hindrance

20 (Pathol)

a interference in the normal physiological functioning of an organ or part

b See → heart block

c See → nerve block

21 (Psychol) a short interruption of perceptual or thought processes

22 obstruction of an opponent in a sport

a a section or quantity, as of tickets or shares, handled or considered as a single unit

b (as modifier)
a block booking, block voting

a a stretch of railway in which only one train may travel at a time

b (as modifier)
a block signal

25 an unseparated group of four or more postage stamps
Compare → strip ¹ → 3

26 a pad of paper

27 (Computing) a group of words on magnetic tape treated as a unit of data

28 (Athletics) short for → starting block

29 (Cricket) a mark made near the popping crease by a batsman to indicate his position in relation to the wicket

30 ♦ a chip off the old block
Informal a person who resembles one of his or her parents in behaviour
vb mainly tr

31 to shape or form (something) into a block

32 to fit with or mount on a block

33 to shape by use of a block
to block a hat

34 often foll by: up to obstruct (a passage, channel, etc.) or prevent or impede the motion or flow of (something or someone) by introducing an obstacle
to block the traffic, to block up a pipe

35 to impede, retard, or prevent (an action, procedure, etc.)

36 to stamp (a title, design, etc.) on (a book cover, etc.) by means of a block (see sense 15a.), esp. using gold leaf or other foil

37 (esp. of a government or central bank) to limit the use or conversion of assets or currency

38 also intr (Sport) to obstruct or impede movement by (an opponent)

39 intr to suffer a psychological block

40 to interrupt a physiological function, as by use of an anaesthetic

41 also intr  (Cricket) to play (a ball) defensively
See also  → block in  → block out
  (C14: from Old French bloc, from Dutch blok; related to Old High German bloh)
♦ blocker  n