What does block mean?
Block is one of English's most versatile everyday words. At its most basic, a block is a solid chunk of hard material — wood, stone, metal — shaped with flat sides, as in a child's toy blocks or the stone blocks of a fortress wall. From this concrete sense the word branched out widely: a city block is the section of streets between two crossroads; a block of flats is a multi-storey residential building; and a mental block or writer's block describes a psychological obstacle that halts progress. As a verb, to block means to stop movement, sight, or action — traffic can be blocked, a shot can be blocked, and a rival plan can be blocked in committee. The word even shapes modern life through compounds like roadblock, building block, blockbuster, and blockchain. Its connotations range from neutral (a block of ice) to negative (a blocked drain), making it essential vocabulary for describing both physical objects and obstacles of every kind.
A solid piece of hard material with flat sides, especially one used for building or as a unit of something larger.
"The mason chiselled the stone block until it fitted perfectly."
Common in compounds such as 'building block' and 'starting block'.
The area of buildings bounded by four streets, or a large building divided into units.
"Walk two blocks north and turn left at the bakery."
An obstruction or thing preventing movement or progress, whether physical or mental.
"He hit a mental block during the exam and couldn't remember the formula."
A quantity or period regarded as a single unit.
"We booked a block of seats for the whole family."
Regular plural, used for multiple solid pieces, city sections, or time periods.
"The harbour walls were built from massive granite blocks."
The word 'block' gave us both the humble building block and the blockbuster — originally a movie so successful it made queues stretch around the block.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of block
Block entered Middle English in the 13th century from Old French 'bloc', which itself came from Middle Dutch or another Germanic source, ultimately tracing back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning a log or tree trunk. The original image was literally a sawn-off chunk of wood, which explains why early senses all involve solid masses. Related Germanic forms survive in Dutch 'blok' and German 'Block', while French 'bloc' — borrowed back into English in the 19th century for political alliances — shares the same ancestry.
Related word forms
How block is actually used
As a noun, 'block' covers concrete objects, city sections, buildings, and time periods. As a verb it means to obstruct physically or figuratively. In British English, 'a block of flats' is standard; American English more often says 'an apartment block' or 'apartment building'. The verb takes regular -ed and -ing endings.
Easily confused with block
A 'bloc' is an alliance of countries, parties, or groups with common interests, whereas a 'block' is a solid mass or the act of obstructing.