Word Meanings - BLOCK - Book Publishers vocabulary database

The perch on which a bird of prey is kept. 8. Any obstruction, or cause of obstruction; a stop; a hindrance; an obstacle; as, a block in the way. 9. A piece of box or other wood for engravers' work. (more info) Sw. & G. block, OHG. bloch. There

Additional info about word: BLOCK

The perch on which a bird of prey is kept. 8. Any obstruction, or cause of obstruction; a stop; a hindrance; an obstacle; as, a block in the way. 9. A piece of box or other wood for engravers' work. (more info) Sw. & G. block, OHG. bloch. There is also an OHG. bloch, biloh; bi by + the same root as that of E. lock. Cf. Block, v. t., Blockade, and 1. A piece of wood more or less bulky; a solid mass of wood, stone, etc., usually with one or more plane, or approximately plane, faces; as, a block on which a butcher chops his meat; a block by which to mount a horse; children's playing blocks, etc. Now all our neighbors' chimneys smoke, And Christmas blocks are burning. Wither. All her labor was but as a block Left in the quarry. Tennyson. 2. The solid piece of wood on which condemned persons lay their necks when they are beheaded. Noble heads which have been brought to the block. E. Everett. 3. The wooden mold on which hats, bonnets, etc., are shaped. Hence: The pattern on shape of a hat. He wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block. Shak. 4. A large or long building divided into separate houses or shops, or a number of houses or shops built in contact with each other so as to form one building; a row of houses or shops. 5. A square, or portion of a city inclosed by streets, whether occupied by buildings or not. The new city was laid out in rectangular blocks, each block containing thirty building lots. Such an average block, comprising 282 houses and covering nine acres of ground, exists in Oxford Street. Lond. Quart. Rev. 6. A grooved pulley or sheave incased in a frame or shell which is provided with a hook, eye, or strap, by which it may be attached to an object. It is used to change the direction of motion, as in raising a heavy object that can not be conveniently reached, and also, when two or more such sheaves are compounded, to change the rate of motion, or to exert increased force; -- used especially in the rigging of ships, and in tackles.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of BLOCK)

• Impediment
• Hindrance
• obstacle
• obstruction
• stumbling block
• Obstruct
• Bar
• block
• choke
• hinder
• impede
• interrupt
• retard
• clog

Related words: (words related to BLOCK)

• BLOCKISH
  Like a block; deficient in understanding; stupid; dull. "Blockish Ajax." Shak. -- Block"ish*ly, adv. -- Block"ish*ness, n.
• BLOCKING
  1. The act of obstructing, supporting, shaping, or stamping with a block or blocks. 2. Blocks used to support temporarily.
• BLOCK TIN
  See TIN
• CHOKECHERRY
  The astringent fruit of a species of wild cherry (Prunus Virginiana); also, the bush or tree which bears such fruit.
• BLOCK SIGNAL
  One of the danger signals or safety signals which guide the movement of trains in a block system. The signal is often so coupled with a switch that act of opening or closing the switch operates the signal also.
• INTERRUPTION
  1. The act of interrupting, or breaking in upon. 2. The state of being interrupted; a breach or break, caused by the abrupt intervention of something foreign; intervention; interposition. Sir M. Hale. Lest the interruption of time cause you to
• OBSTRUCTIVE
  Tending to obstruct; presenting obstacles; hindering; causing impediment. -- Ob*struct"ive*ly, adv.
• OBSTRUCTIONIST
  One who hinders progress; one who obstructs business, as in a legislative body. -- a.
• HINDEREST
  Hindermost; -- superl. of Hind, a. Chaucer.
• OBSTRUCTER
  One who obstructs or hinders.
• INTERRUPT
  1. To break into, or between; to stop, or hinder by breaking in upon the course or progress of; to interfere with the current or motion of; to cause a temporary cessation of; as, to interrupt the remarks speaking. Do not interrupt me in my course.
• BLOCKAGE
  The act of blocking up; the state of being blocked up.
• IMPEDE
  To hinder; to stop in progress; to obstruct; as, to impede the advance of troops. Whatever hinders or impedes The action of the nobler will. Logfellow.
• CHOKER
  1. One who, or that which, chokes. 2. A stiff wide cravat; a stock.
• OBSTRUCT
  before or against, to obstruct; ob + struere to pile up. 1. To block up; to stop up or close, as a way or passage; to place an obstacle in, or fill with obstacles or impediments that prevent or hinder passing; as, to obstruct a street;
• HINDERMOST; HINDMOST
  Furthest in or toward the rear; last. "Rachel and Joseph hindermost." Gen. xxxiii. 2. (more info) superlative from the same source as the comparative hinder. See
• BLOCKING COURSE
  The finishing course of a wall showing above a cornice.
• RETARDATION
  The keeping back of an approaching consonant chord by prolonging one or more tones of a previous chord into the intermediate chord which follows; -- differing from suspension by resolving upwards instead of downwards. 4. The extent to which anything
• STUMBLER
  One who stumbles.
• BLOCK
  The perch on which a bird of prey is kept. 8. Any obstruction, or cause of obstruction; a stop; a hindrance; an obstacle; as, a block in the way. 9. A piece of box or other wood for engravers' work. (more info) Sw. & G. block, OHG. bloch. There
• CAUTIONARY BLOCK
  A block in which two or more trains are permitted to travel, under restrictions imposed by a caution card or the like.
• TAILBLOCK
  A block with a tail. See Tail, 9.
• ARTICHOKE
  word as carciofo; cf. older spellings archiciocco, archicioffo, carciocco, and Sp. alcachofa, Pg. alcachofra; prob. fr. Ar. al- 1. The Cynara scolymus, a plant somewhat resembling a thistle, with a dilated, imbricated, and prickly involucre. The
• CHOCKABLOCK
  Hoisted as high as the tackle will admit; brought close together, as the two blocks of a tackle in hoisting.