blocking
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of stopping something from moving or passing through.
the act of obstructing or hindering movement or progress. Often used in a physical or metaphorical sense to describe a stoppage.
Simple“The blocking of the main road caused a huge traffic jam this morning.”
In context“The sudden blocking of the drainage pipe led to significant flooding in the basement during the heavy rainstorm.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the plan for where actors should stand and move on a stage.
the precise movement and positioning of actors on a stage or film set to facilitate a performance and ensure correct camera angles.
Simple“The director spent the afternoon working on the blocking for the final scene.”
In context“The complex blocking required the lead actress to move precisely between three different light sources without shadowing her co-star.”
UsageUsually uncountable when referring to the general process of staging.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a feature that stops a computer or device from doing two things at once by mistake.
a technical constraint or artifact, such as preventing ghosting on a keyboard or visual errors in digital signals processed in blocks.
Simple“This gaming keyboard has special blocking to prevent errors when you press many keys.”
In context“The engineer noted significant blocking artifacts in the compressed video stream, indicating that the bitrate was too low for the resolution.”
Synonyms
Usage blocking access
“The siege comes as Israel’s military conducts raids in Jenin, blocking access to aid for Palestinians in the refugee camp on the fourth day of its assault.”
“The students now blocking universities and demanding a different society were between seven and 12 years old when Vucic came to power.”