Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: bloc, from Middle Dutch blok

block

1 noun
     
block
Related topics: Sport, Buildings
block1 S2 W2 [countable]
1

solid material

a piece of hard material such as wood or stone with straight sides
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) TTR 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

TBB a large building divided into separate parts
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

SHSC 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

DS 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)
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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