block

block

I

block¹ S2 W2 /blɒk $ blɑːk/ noun [countable]
1.  SOLID MATERIAL a piece of hard material such as wood or stone with straight sides ⇨ breeze-block, building block, cinder block
    block of
    a block of ice
    a wall made of concrete blocks
2.  STREETS/AREA
  a. American English 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. Australian English 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.
    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)
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 3)

■ types of block
   ▪ a block of flats British English Three new blocks of flats were built on the land.
   ▪ an apartment block I met him at his apartment block in Manhattan.
   ▪ an office block She works in a 27-storey office block.
   ▪ a tower block (=very high and usually in a poor area) She lived on the 17th floor of a tower block in East London.
   ▪ a tenement block (=an apartment block, usually in a poor area - used especially in Scotland) We had a tiny flat in an Edinburgh tenement block.
   ▪ a high-rise block (=very high) The area is full of monstrous concrete high-rise blocks.
   ▪ a multi-storey block (=having many levels) Many shops and offices have been rebuilt in high multi-storey blocks.

II

block² S3 verb [transitive]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 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 somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb
  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 phrasal verb
  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
  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