Block
/blɒk/
Definitions
2 meaningsA solid piece of a substance, usually rectangular.
/blɒk/
A solid piece of hard material.
The child played with building blocks.
💡 Simply: A piece of something solid.
More Examples
The road was blocked by a fallen tree.
How It's Used
"The builders used concrete blocks to construct the wall."
"He moved his game piece to block his opponent's advance."
To prevent movement or passage.
/blɒk/
To obstruct or prevent movement.
The heavy snow blocked the roads.
💡 Simply: To stop something from happening.
More Examples
He tried to block the punch.
How It's Used
"The accident blocked the highway for hours."
"The code contained a bug that blocked execution."
Idioms & expressions
a stumbling block
Something that prevents progress.
"Lack of funding was a major stumbling block for the project."
From Middle English *blok*, from Middle Dutch *blok*, from Old Dutch *blokk*, from Proto-Germanic *blokkaz.
The word 'block' has been used to describe a solid piece of material since the Middle Ages.
Memory tip
Think of a LEGO block.