# Block

/ˈbɫɑk/ (US) · /blˈɒk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/block
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. solid piece of material

noun · CEFR A2

a solid, heavy piece of something like wood, stone, or ice, usually with flat sides.

For teachers: a substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any solid substance.

- The children built a tall tower using colorful wooden blocks.
- The sculptor spent months carving a single block of Carrara marble into a lifelike figure.

### 2. city area

noun · CEFR A2 · American English

an area of a town or city surrounded by four streets.

For teachers: a contiguous group of urban lots or a rectangular area in a city surrounded by streets.

- I live just two blocks away from the subway station.
- The parade marched through the financial district, spanning several city blocks and drawing thousands of spectators.

### 3. large building

noun · CEFR B1 · British English

a large building that contains many offices or apartments.

For teachers: a large, often rectangular building divided into separate units such as flats or offices.

- They are building a new office block in the center of town.
- The residential block was designed with sustainable materials and communal green spaces on every third floor.

### 4. an obstruction

noun · CEFR B1

something that stops movement or progress.

For teachers: a physical or metaphorical obstacle that prevents passage or progress.

- The fallen tree created a block on the narrow mountain road.
- The negotiator identified a major block in the peace talks regarding the disputed border territory.

### 5. the head

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a slang word for a person's head.

For teachers: a slang term for the human head, often used in the context of physical threats.

- Be careful or you'll get your block knocked off.
- The boxer joked that he was lucky to still have his block attached after such a brutal match.

### 6. to obstruct or stop

verb · CEFR A2

to stop something from moving through a space or to stop an action from happening.

For teachers: to fill or obstruct a passage so that movement is impossible; to prevent an action or process.

- A large truck was blocking the entrance to the driveway.
- The opposition party moved to block the new legislation, citing concerns over environmental impact.

### 7. to restrict digitally

verb · CEFR B1

to stop someone from contacting you or seeing your profile online.

For teachers: to bar a user or communication from accessing a service or connecting via digital platforms.

- I had to block him because he kept sending me spam messages.
- The firewall is configured to block all incoming traffic from unrecognized IP addresses to ensure network security.

### 8. theatre movement

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to plan where actors stand and move on a stage.

For teachers: to specify the positions and movements of actors for a theatrical or film production.

- The director spent the afternoon blocking the final scene of the play.
- Properly blocking the sequence was essential to ensure that the lead actor remained in the light during the monologue.

### 9. to shape material

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to stretch or shape something, like a hat or a sweater, into the right form.

For teachers: to shape, stretch, or mould an item—typically clothing or millinery—over a form.

- After knitting the wool sweater, you need to block it so it stays the right size.
- The hatter used a wooden steam-form to block the felt into a traditional fedora shape.

## Examples

- The child plays with a wooden block.
- The new apartment block on the corner has a gym for all its residents.
- The sculptor started with a rough block of marble, envisioning the finished form that lay dormant within the stone.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.