block

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noun

1 solid piece of sth

ADJECTIVE

▪ big, huge, large, massive

▪ small

▪ solid

▪ cement, concrete, ice, stone, wood, wooden

▪ building

▪ rectangular

▪ starting (for a runner)

▪

I was aiming to be first out of the starting blocks.

▪ stumbling (figurative)

▪

The issue has been a major stumbling block in trade negotiations.

▪ breeze (BrE), cinder (AmE)

PHRASES

▪ on the chopping block

▪

I'm not putting my head on the chopping block (= putting myself at risk) for you.

2 (BrE) large building divided into offices, etc.

ADJECTIVE

▪ high-rise, tower

▪ tenement (BrE)

▪ administration, apartment, cell, office

▪

The prisoners had been transferred to a different cell block.

PREPOSITION

▪ in a/the block

▪

She lives in a modern apartment block.

▪ block of

▪

a block of flats

3 group of buildings with streets around it

ADJECTIVE

▪ city

▪

The hotel occupies an entire block.

PREPOSITION

▪ around the block, round the block (esp. BrE)

▪

People were queueing round the block to get in. (BrE)

▪

Fans lined up around the block to get tickets for the show. (AmE)

▪ block from (AmE)

▪

We're about four blocks from my house.

▪ block down (AmE)

▪

They walked a few blocks down the street.

4 temporary loss of abilities

ADJECTIVE

▪ mental, writer's

▪

The author denies that she is experiencing writer's block.

VERB + BLOCK

▪ experience, have, suffer from

▪

I suddenly had a mental block and couldn't remember his name.

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verb

1 make it difficult to pass

ADVERB

▪ completely

▪ almost

▪ partially, partly

▪ off, up

▪

The old route is completely blocked off.

▪

Don't block up the corridor with all these boxes.

VERB + BLOCK

▪ try to

▪ move to

▪

One of the men moved to block their path.

PREPOSITION

▪ with

▪

The exit was blocked with beer crates.

2 prevent sth being done

ADVERB

▪ successfully

▪ effectively

▪

The new rules would effectively block protesters' attempts to assert their rights.

VERB + BLOCK

▪ attempt to, seek to, try to

▪ move to

▪

The group has moved to block the government's proposals.

PHRASAL VERB

block sth out

ADVERB

▪ completely

▪

Black clouds had completely blocked out the sun.

▪ almost