block1 nounblock2 verb
blockblock1 /blɒk $ blɑːk/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] 
WORD ORIGINblock1
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French bloc, from Middle Dutch blokEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- an apartment block
- Concrete blocks were used by most builders in the 1960s when constructing office buildings.
- His studios are on the tenth floor of an office block overlooking the river.
- It's three blocks to the store from here.
- Many of the families on our block are Hispanic-Americans.
- She lived three blocks away from me when we were kids.
- The fish were lying on huge blocks of ice to keep them cold.
- The house at Number 14 was replaced by a block of flats.
- The ice was cut into blocks and stored in a special shed.
- There's another new office block going up behind the station.
- To the east is a landscape of concrete tower blocks.
- We went for a walk around the block.
- Beware of becoming so fixated on this one position that you acquire a mental block against progressing further.
- But with a deli on every other block purveying all sorts of ethnic breads, l never baked a single loaf.
- During the first Cold War years, the capitalist block was indeed seeking the downfall of the war-exhausted Soviet Union.
- Moulded, splinter-proof cutting blocks, called Barboards, are also available.
- One stumbling block can be the kind of computer you own.
- Only from the windows of a derelict tower block squatted by women was there any deliberately hostile response.
- The Cannon halted rush-hour traffic as it rattled the windows of every car and skyscraper for blocks around.
THESAURUS
an amount of something that has been cut or separated from the main part: · Could I have another piece of cake?· a piece of broken glass· Emma cut the pie into eight pieces.
a piece. Bit is more informal than piece and is often used about smaller pieces: · The notes were written on bits of paper.· He threw a bit of wood onto the fire.
a small piece of something solid or firm that does not have a regular shape: · two lumps of sugar· a lump of coal· a lump of clay
a small piece of paper, cloth etc that is no longer needed: · I wrote the phone number on a scrap of paper.· The dog was eating scraps of food off the floor.
a long narrow piece of cloth, paper etc: · a strip of cloth· The leather had been cut into strips.
a thin flat piece of something such as paper, glass, or metal: · a blank sheet of paper· a sheet of aluminium
a thin flat piece of bread, cake, meat etc cut from a larger piece: · a slice of pizza· Cut the tomatoes into thin slices.
a piece of something solid that does not have a regular shape – used especially about food, rock, or metal: · The fruit was cut into large chunks.· a chunk of bread
a large piece with rough edges, which has been cut or has broken off a bigger piece of food, rock etc: · a big hunk of cheese· hunks of concrete
a piece of something solid, which has straight sides: · concrete blocks· a block of cheese· a block of ice
a thick flat piece of stone, or of cake, meat etc: · The floor had been made from stone slabs.· a slab of beef
a piece that has six square sides – used especially about food: · a cube of sugar· ice cubes
a piece that has a thick end and a pointed end, and is shaped like a triangle – used especially about food and metal: · a wedge of cheese
a block of soap, chocolate, candy, or metal, which has straight sides: · a chocolate bar· a bar of soap· gold bars worth more than £26 million
British English a slice of bacon: · I usually have two rashers of bacon for breakfast.
a structure such as a house, church, or factory, that has a roof and walls: · The college needs money to pay for new buildings.
formal a building or piece of land, or both together – used especially when talking about buying and selling buildings or land: · The next property they looked at was too small.· The company received permission to build six residential properties on the land.
formal the buildings and land that a shop, restaurant, company etc uses: · You are not allowed to drink alcohol on the premises.· The bread is baked on the premises.
a group of buildings, or a large building with many parts, used for a particular purpose: · The town has one of the best leisure complexes in the country.· a luxury apartment complex
a group of new buildings that have all been planned and built together on the same piece of land: · a new housing development· a huge industrial development
especially British English a large tall building that contains apartments or offices, or is part of a school, university, or hospital: · an office block· a block of flats· a tower block (=a very tall building - often used disapprovingly)· My next lecture is in the science block.
especially American English a place or building used for a particular activity or industry: · a research facility on campus
formal a large building, especially one that is tall and impressive – a very formal use: · Their head office was an imposing edifice.
formal something that has been made to stand upright – used especially when talking about buildings: · The stone arch is one of the town’s oldest existing structures.· an immense barn-like structure· Mogul calls this building, designed by Donald and John Parkinson in 1928, ‘the most important structure in Los Angeles of the 20th century.’
Longman Language Activatoran area in or around a town or city an area in or around a town or city: area of: · The family lives in Roxbury, a working-class area of Boston.poor/rich area: · Raul grew up in a poor area of Buenos Aires.
one of the areas that a town or city is officially divided into, or one of the areas of a town or city where a particular group of people live or a particular activity happens: district of: · Their apartment is in the Chongwen district of Peking.business/financial/historical etc district: · Blaine works in the financial district.
British /neighborhood American one of the parts of a town or city: · The Cranstons live in a very wealthy neighbourhood.neighbourhood of: · I grew up in a quiet neighborhood of Birmingham.in the neighbourhood/neighborhood: · Are there any good restaurants in the neighborhood?
an area in a town or city that is lived in by people of a particular type or nationality: quarter of: · We rented a house in the Creole quarter of New Orleans.· The Dahdah palace is in the old Jewish quarter of Damascus.
part of a city that is officially divided from other parts because it is of a particular type: residential/commercial zone: · This is a residential zone -- no commercial buildings are allowed.pedestrian zone (=a zone where cars, motorcycles etc are not allowed): · Most of the town centre is now a pedestrian zone.
especially American a group of buildings in a city, with four streets around it - often used as a way of talking about distances in the city: · She lived three blocks away from me when we were kids.· Many of the families on our block are Hispanic-Americans.
an area away from the centre of a city, where people live, especially an area where there are houses with gardens: suburb of: · Amy teaches at a primary school in a suburb of Atlanta.the suburbs: · My family moved to the suburbs when I was ten.
American an area in an American town or city that is officially divided from other parts and that has its own police department etc: · the fourteenth precinct· The mayor has lost support in many precincts of the city.
a building or group of buildings · Brewer Hall is a red-brick building with white trim.· The whole building shook when a train went past.· There's a plan to convert the farm buildings into private apartments.
a large building divided into smaller parts: block of: · The house at Number 14 was replaced by a block of flats.office/apartment block: · There's another new office block going up behind the station.· His studios are on the tenth floor of an office block overlooking the river.high-rise/tower block (=very tall block) British: · To the east is a landscape of concrete tower blocks.
a group of new buildings that have all been planned and built together on the same piece of land: · The new development at the edge of town is aimed at first-time buyers.· The former cropland has been turned into housing developments and shopping malls.
a large building or a part of a building - used especially to say what it is made of or how strong it is: · The station building was a high wooden structure with a curved roof.· The stone arch is one of the town's oldest existing structures.
a piece that has a regular shape a large solid piece of wood, stone, or ice that has straight sides: · Concrete blocks were used by most builders in the 1960s when constructing office buildings.block of: · The fish were lying on huge blocks of ice to keep them cold.cut something into blocks: · The ice was cut into blocks and stored in a special shed.
a solid object with six equal square sides: ice cube: · For a joke, he put an ice cube down the back of her dress.cube of: · She dropped a cube of sugar into her tea and stirred it with a spoon.cut/chop something into cubes: · Cut the melon into 2cm cubes and leave to soak in some port or red wine.
a thick, flat, heavy piece of something such as stone: stone/concrete/marble slab: · His grave is covered by a huge marble slab.slab of: · Slabs of concrete had been used to build a pathway for people to walk on.· The butcher's counter was covered in huge slabs of red meat and the air smelled of blood.
a fairly long, thick piece of something such as metal, soap, or chocolate: · We go through so much soap in our family that I buy about 10 bars a month.bar of chocolate/soap/gold: · I used to buy a bar of chocolate every day and give half to my friend.chocolate/candy/gold bar: · I helped him take the wrapper off his candy bar.· The gold bars were transported from the bank in an armored truck.
WORD SETSadjoin, verbalcove, nounantechamber, nounanteroom, nounapartment block, nounapse, nounarcade, nounart gallery, nounatrium, nounattic, nounauditorium, nounawning, nounback door, nounback-to-back, nounbailey, nounbalcony, nounbalustrade, nounbanister, nounbarn, nounbasilica, nounbastion, nounbay window, nounblock, nounbrownstone, nounbungalow, nounbunkhouse, nounbyre, nouncabin, nouncampanile, nouncanteen, nouncarport, nouncasement, nouncastle, nounceiling, nouncellar, nouncentre, nounchalet, nounchamber, nounchancel, nounchanging room, nounchateau, nounchimney, nounchimney breast, nounchimney pot, nounchimney stack, nouncladding, nounclerk of works, nouncloakroom, nouncloister, nounclubhouse, nouncoatroom, nouncocktail lounge, nouncolonnade, nouncolumn, nouncommon room, nouncomplex, nouncompound, nounconcourse, nouncondominium, nounconservatory, nounconvent, nouncoping, nouncornerstone, nouncorn exchange, nouncorridor, nouncottage, nouncountry house, nouncountry seat, nouncourthouse, nouncowshed, noundado, noundance hall, noundetached, adjectivedoor, noundoorpost, noundormer, nounedifice, nounentry, nounentryway, nounestate, nounestate agent, nounextension, nouneyrie, nounfacade, nounfallout shelter, nounfamily room, nounfarmhouse, nounfire door, nounfire escape, nounfire station, nounfitment, nounfixture, nounflatlet, nounflight, nounfloor, nounfolly, nounforecourt, nounfort, nounfortress, nounfoyer, nounfrontage, nounfront room, nounfuneral home, noungable, noungabled, adjectivegargoyle, noungrandstand, noungrange, noungranny flat, noungrille, nounground floor, nounguardhouse, nounguesthouse, nounguildhall, noungutter, nounguttering, noungym, noungymnasium, nounhabitation, nounhall, nounhallway, nounhatch, nounhatchway, nounhayloft, nounhealth centre, nounhigh-rise, adjectivehospice, nounhospital, nounlaboratory, nounlanding, nounleaded lights, nounlean-to, nounledge, nounlightning conductor, nounlintel, nounlobby, nounlodge, nounloft, nounlog cabin, nounlounge, nounlouvre, nounmaisonette, nounmezzanine, nounmilking parlour, nounmoving staircase, nounmullion, nounnave, nounniche, nounoast house, nounobelisk, nounoffice building, nounoratory, nounoutbuilding, nounouthouse, nounoverhang, nounparapet, nounparty wall, nounpediment, nounpenthouse, nounperistyle, nounpicture window, nounpilaster, nounpillar, nounpinnacle, nounplatform, nounplumber, nounplumbing, nounpodium, nounpoint, verbPortakabin, nounpotting shed, nounpresbytery, nounpress gallery, nounprivy, nounpublic convenience, nounpyramid, nounrafter, nounrail, nounrampart, nounribbon development, nounrotunda, nounsanctuary, nounschoolhouse, nounscience park, nounsepulchre, nounservice charge, nounshack, nounshed, nounshop front, nounskylight, nounskyscraper, nounsliding door, nounsmokestack, nounsmoking room, nounspiral staircase, nounspire, nounsports centre, nounstack, nounstadium, nounstair, nounstaircase, nounstairway, nounstairwell, nounstall, nounstately home, nounstateroom, nounstation, nounsteeple, nounstep, nounstonework, nounstoop, nounstoreroom, nounstorm cellar, nounstory, nounstudio, nountenement, nountepee, nounterrace, nountheatre, nountoilet, nountool shed, nountower block, nountown hall, nountownhouse, nountransept, nountransom, nountrapdoor, nountreasury, nounturret, nounvault, nounvaulted, adjectivevaulting, nounventilator, nounvestibule, nounvilla, nounwalkway, nounwall, nounwatchtower, nounwater tower, nounweatherboard, nounwedding chapel, nounwing, nounwoodshed, nounworkhouse, nounworkroom, nounworkshop, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 3types of block
The flood was caused by a blocked drain.
British English· Three new blocks of flats were built on the land.
· I met him at his apartment block in Manhattan.
· She works in a 27-storey office block.
(=very high and usually in a poor area)· She lived on the 17th floor of a tower block in East London.
(=an apartment block, usually in a poor area – used especially in Scotland)· We had a tiny flat in an Edinburgh tenement block.
(=very high)· The area is full of monstrous concrete high-rise blocks.
(=having many levels)· Many shops and offices have been rebuilt in high multi-storey blocks.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=a booking for a large number of seats, rooms etc)· There's a 20% discount for group bookings.
The flood was caused by a blocked drain.· A large stone blocked the entrance to the tomb.
(=a large building divided into separate flats)· At the time, I lived in a block of flats in St John’s Wood.
American English (=money given by the central government to state governments in order to pay for services such as the police, roads etc)· Congress approved block grants for education, health, and social services.
· The fish were packed in blocks of ice, ready for transportation.
informal (=the newest person in a job, school etc) It’s not always easy being the new kid on the block.
It’s not always easy being the new kid on the block. (=so that you cannot breathe easily)· My nose is really blocked and I can't smell anything.
· It is likely that fat or grease is blocking the waste pipe.
· The main road was blocked for an hour while police cleared the accident.
· A pillar blocked my view of the stage.
· I used a block of wood to knock the pole into the ground.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· The most popular materials for raised beds are bricks and concrete walling blocks.· There was another little room, the Quiet Room, plain concrete block walls without chairs or windows.· Most likely to suffer are concrete block houses built in the Twenties and Thirties and earlier buildings where shuttered concrete was employed.· This building also will be made of structural steel and concrete blocks.· Meanwhile, powerful United States Army helicopters continued dropping massive concrete blocks to hinder the lava flow.· Rusted metal, bits of concrete and cinder block, patches of burnt, weedy turf.· The concrete block shell was in place by early 1992 ready for the 25-week facing brickwork stage to begin.· Since then, her head has felt like a concrete block.
· The gabled main block is stone-built.· The money she received went towards the building of the main hospital block in Shantinagar.· Today, the main blocks of the complex remain, externally altered little.· The joint venture is also planning a hotel and an office building next to the main apartment block.· Access to the dining room in the north-east corner of the main block was then made via a short flight of stairs.· He speculated that Rhyl platform clearances would be the main stumbling block.· Old classrooms in the main block were refurbished and brought back into use for Sociology and Philosophy.· The main block of the mill is practically empty but the older part now houses grain storage bins.
· The issue of taxation was the major block in reaching agreement.· Economic reform, or rather the lack of it, is proving the other major stumbling block.· This is the major stumbling block to experimental realisation of the Lorenz system in lasers.
· Most of the blocks mentioned here are at the physical level, but the emotional and mental blocks are equally important.· Spring focus: 2B Chuck Knoblauch claims he received help during the offseason with his mental block on routine throws.· It is difficult to escape the conclusion that he has a mental and emotional block about competing with his compatriots.· Beware of becoming so fixated on this one position that you acquire a mental block against progressing further.· She developed a complete mental block against her pregnancy, and concealed it until four days before she went into labour.· Their mocking faces caused a mental block - or a block somewhere else.
· The possible stumbling blocks would be financial and attitudinal barriers to these learners.· In the autumn of 1987, Conran ran into a potentially more serious stumbling block to his plans.· It is still foolishness and a stumbling block.· Defence cuts could also be a stumbling block.· Combining motherhood and her career proved no stumbling block for the indomitable Marian.· Do you feel that the language problem is a fundamental stumbling block for art historians?· Other stumbling blocks include differences in the regulations of individual stock exchanges on voting rights of shares in take-over targets.· Richard Moon retired from the Board in 1891, removing the main stumbling block to progress in design of coaching stock.
· In it, there are three wooden blocks labelled A, B and C, and a table.· Two, which hold wooden blocks, are on rolling coasters, and they are permanently available.· Lay out the small, smooth wooden blocks or small boxes where the living compartments for the ants are to be.· Tripped on the wooden blocks painted to look like ice, the doll careening away from her down between the blocks.· Teacher: Mark, go and get the heaviest wooden block that you can find.· Straight in at Number 12, it consists of a tower of wooden blocks.· This one had electric lights on either side of the mirror and two on a wooden block along the top.· They put the catapult into position and placed wooden blocks in front of the wheels to stop it rolling into the sea.
NOUN· The joint venture is also planning a hotel and an office building next to the main apartment block.· This time she took him to a room in a large apartment block set near factories and oil-storage tanks.· To Katherine, a New Yorker, used to apartment blocks and intimate brownstones, it was trebly impressive.· On the outskirts of Tabor there were long rows of multi-storey apartment blocks of an extraordinary ugliness; many flats looked empty.· He must go now, to the apartment block, and make his calls on the tenants.· A quiet street and the beard stood in the shade of an apartment block doorway.· Damian got out, his arm around Domino, and they ran into an apartment block.· Dozens of people were seen leaping from windows in the apartment blocks.
· He stresses that formal planning can only be one of the many building blocks which determine corporate strategy.· Analogue design remains important because it accommodates and defines the basic building blocks of electronics.· What modules of data were already available as building blocks for computer programs without a major investment in new software? 2.· The word is made up of three parts, stuck together like building blocks.· They formed gases and ultimately amino acids, the so-called building blocks of life.· The building blocks of matter are the atoms which were originally thought to be indivisible.
· They passed a Baptist church set on cinder blocks.· The room is maybe six feet square, with cinder block walls.· Three small houses, made of painted cinder block and aluminum, faced the hotel from across the street.· His bookshelves were plywood and cinder blocks.· If the foundation is made of cinder blocks, they need to be set in a bed of mortar on the concrete.· In Colonia Anapra, homes are made from plywood sheets, wooden pallets, unpainted cinder blocks and cardboard.
· The block exemptions are subject to review, since they have expiry dates written in, but no substantial change is imminent.· Similarly, franchise agreements are granted block exemption under Regulation 4087/88.· But this point is already clearly recognized in the legal framework through such elements as the block exemptions.
· Arts and Sports Councils established under Acts of Parliament and funded by block grant offer a further instance.· Thus by the sixth year about half of all the block grant money would be distributed on a discretionary basis.· More fundamentally, in the early 1980s a new system of local-government support was introduced - the block grant.· One aspect of the block grant other than program decisions and performance audits would require HUD-local interaction.· Transport does not appear as a separate item, but as part of the overall block grant to regional authorities.· Such geographic constraints were initially absent from the block grant program.· The meeting was complete with a slide show prepared by the National League of Cities that explained the block grant program.· Under a block grant approach, each state would receive a lump sum to be divided any way the state chose.
· The surname should be written or typed in block letters followed by the title of the guest, and then the initials.· The files contained a single document, his lob application, filled out in block letters and unsigned.· The lines, mainly in block letters, wander and slant across the page.· This is what it says, high above a doorway, in big block letters, at Pasadena's Clearwater Seafood.
· The fireball destroyed a prefabricated office building before setting a four-storey office block ablaze.· The first program for the office block was enormously different from its eventual design.· A modern multi-storey office block is a very simple design.· They have permission to turn it into a pub, a small office block or a complete three storey office.· The next morning Tony parked his car and walked slowly towards the newly completed office block.· The arched gateway disappeared and an office block was erected alongside the entrance.· Read in studio Fire has badly damaged an office block in Gloucester.· Jagged blue lightning stabbed through one of the ragged gaps and found the only thing in the office block that was moving.
· More than 12 vans and cars were stopped during the 35 minutes the road block was in position.· Take off he does, avoiding road blocks.· Peacekeeping troops set up road blocks and conducted house-to-house searches.· Just as we were crossing Chelsea Bridge we were stopped by the police at a road block.· These involved road blocks, interrupting rail services and police controlling the route to the airport.· Stirred up by this incident, nationalists took to the streets in several parts of Yerevan, setting up road blocks.· Near Perth, they burst through a police road block, put in place for another enquiry.· The New Forest had become virtually a fortress of barbed wire and road blocks.
· Competition entrants are asked to look at how to transform the tower block typology into a new type of community.· A spokesman for the Housing Department would only say that the tower blocks had seemed a good idea at the time.· And even more amazing that he can still squeeze through chimneys and central heating air vents in tower blocks.· Only from the windows of a derelict tower block squatted by women was there any deliberately hostile response.· And new cars shed their value faster than a Steinway falls from the top of a tower block.· The tower block, the demolition, and Hugh bad now and dying in his bed.· Glasgow certainly needs a modern landmark - something to deflect the eye from the miserable tower blocks of the 1960s.· Maybe they had lived in one of his tower blocks.
· It is rather like a Labour Party conference, without the block vote.· Administrative means - like the block vote-have been used to solve political problems.· That can now change - indeed, if the block vote goes, it will have to change.· In the end the pro-democracy motion was defeated-crushed under the boot of the union block vote.· The rumbling row with the unions over ending the block vote is a classic example of its suicidal tendencies.· Although that would reduce the union block vote more drastically than other options, it would also give both sides a veto.· A composite motion demanding the straight forward abolition of the block vote was defeated on a show of hands.· Millions of trade unionists could not simply be represented by the casting of a block vote once a year.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► put your head/neck on the block► go on the blockPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► building blocks► I’ll knock your head/block off
- He was prepared to go to the block for his beliefs.
- Dress is formal and block bookings are available.
- "That daughter of yours has a great sense of humour." "Yes, I like to think she's a chip off the old block!"
- Beware of becoming so fixated on this one position that you acquire a mental block against progressing further.
- Most of the blocks mentioned here are at the physical level, but the emotional and mental blocks are equally important.
- She developed a complete mental block against her pregnancy, and concealed it until four days before she went into labour.
- Spring focus: 2B Chuck Knoblauch claims he received help during the offseason with his mental block on routine throws.
- Their mocking faces caused a mental block - or a block somewhere else.
- With the uh, mental block.
WORD FAMILYnounblockblockageblockadeverbblockunblockblockadeadjectiveblockedunblocked
1
solid material a piece of hard material such as wood or stone with straight sides → breeze-block, building block, cinder blockblock of a block of ice a wall made of concrete blocks► see thesaurus at piece2streets/area a)American English the distance along a city street from where one street crosses it to the next: Head for 44th Street, a few blocks east of Sixth Avenue. The church is down the block. b)the four city streets that form a square around an area of buildings: Let’s walk round the block. She grew up playing with the other kids on the block. c)Australian English a large piece of land: a ten-acre block near the city3large building a large building divided into separate partsblock of a block of flats an office block an apartment block the school science block4quantity of things a quantity of things of the same kind, considered as a single unitblock of New employees receive a block of shares in the firm. Set aside blocks of time for doing your homework.5block booking/voting an arrangement that is made for a whole group to buy something or to vote together6inability to think [usually singular] the temporary loss of your normal ability to think, learn, write etc: I have a mental block whenever I try to remember my password. After his second novel, Garland had writer’s block (=he could not write anything).7stopping movement [usually singular] something that prevents movement or progressblock to a major block to progress → roadblock, stumbling block8punishment the block in the past, a solid block of wood on which someone’s head was cut off as a punishment9put your head/neck on the block to risk destroying other people’s opinion of you or losing your job by doing or saying something: I’m not prepared to put my head on the block for him.10sport a movement in sport that stops an opponent going forward or playing the ball forward11sell go on the block to be sold, especially at an auction: $500 million worth of art will go on the block. → block capitals, tower block, → be a chip off the old block at chip1(7), → I’ll knock your block off at knock1(24)COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 3types of blocka block of flats British English· Three new blocks of flats were built on the land.an apartment block· I met him at his apartment block in Manhattan.an office block· She works in a 27-storey office block.a tower block (=very high and usually in a poor area)· She lived on the 17th floor of a tower block in East London.a tenement block (=an apartment block, usually in a poor area – used especially in Scotland)· We had a tiny flat in an Edinburgh tenement block.a high-rise block (=very high)· The area is full of monstrous concrete high-rise blocks.a multi-storey block (=having many levels)· Many shops and offices have been rebuilt in high multi-storey blocks.block1 nounblock2 verb
blockblock2 ●●● S3 verb [transitive] VERB TABLE
block
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | block |
| he, she, it | blocks | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | blocked |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have blocked |
| he, she, it | has blocked | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had blocked |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will block |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have blocked |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am blocking |
| he, she, it | is blocking | |
| you, we, they | are blocking | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was blocking |
| you, we, they | were blocking | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been blocking |
| he, she, it | has been blocking | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been blocking |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be blocking |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been blocking |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a blocked currency
- A big truck had turned over on its side, and it was blocking the road.
- Britain has threatened to block new EU legislation on human rights.
- Hundreds of protesters blocked the entrance to the President's palace.
- The accident has blocked two lanes of traffic on the freeway.
- The city council blocked the idea for a new shopping mall.
- The deal was blocked by the chairman, who was unwilling to commit so much company money to a risky investment.
- The sink is blocked again.
- The view was blocked by two ugly high-rise apartment buildings.
- But you may find the road blocked.
- Drugs that block acetylcholine interfere with memory.
- Having blocked two attacking techniques, the defender counters with a double punch to his opponent's face.
- Some small villages in the northern Andes were left isolated as roads were blocked by slides.
- Which of these have blocked your growth?
Longman Language Activatorto close an entrance or opening
to put something into a hole or entrance so that it is permanently closed: block something up: · Martha tried to block the mouse holes up, but new ones kept appearing.block up something: · Some of the windows in the church had been blocked up.· He blocked up the entrance to the tunnel with stones.
to put something into a hole in order to stop a liquid from getting through: · We tried to plug the hole in the bottom of the boat with a plastic bag.· They didn't have enough material to plug up the gaps around the pipe.
to close an entrance or container with something that completely prevents air or water from getting in or out: · If you seal the jars well, the jam will keep for months or even years.· In this experiment, the chamber must be completely sealed.
to prevent a plan or action from succeeding to use something such as a law or an official order to prevent someone from doing something that they have been planning to do: · Britain has threatened to block new EU legislation on human rights.· The deal was blocked by the chairman, who was unwilling to commit so much company money to a risky investment.
to try to prevent someone from doing something by deliberately making it much more difficult for them: · The House of Lords has been accused of obstructing change and preventing scientific progress.· It is an offence to obstruct the police during the course of their duty.
formal to prevent someone from doing something, especially something that they very much want to do because it is personally important to them: · Harry knew now that nothing could thwart his plans.· An attempt to smuggle heroin worth £30 million into the country has been thwarted by customs officials.
to prevent something bad or criminal that someone is planning to do, by being more clever than they are: · The government has foiled an attempted military coup.· The burglar was foiled by a passer-by who noticed the broken window and phoned the police.
to prevent someone from going somewhere if someone or something is in the way , they are in a position that stops you from going where you want: · There's a car in the way and I can't get out of the garage.be in somebody's way: · Could you move please Sonia. You're in my way.
if objects or people block a road, entrance etc, they lie or stand right across it, so that no-one can pass through: · A big truck had turned over on its side, and it was blocking the road.· Hundreds of protesters blocked the entrance to the President's palace.
to block or almost block a road, entrance etc: · A small aircraft now obstructed the runway.· The driveway was obstructed by piles of stones and gravel.
something that has been deliberately put somewhere, especially across a road or entrance, to prevent people from entering a place: · The automatic barrier lifted as we drove up.· The driver slowed down as he approached the police barrier.· Only a flimsy barrier stops the crowd from spilling onto the field.
to use military force to prevent people or goods from entering or leaving an area: · In June 1948 the Russians blockaded the western sectors of Berlin.· A US fleet blockaded the port of Veracruz.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The flood was caused by a blocked drain.
(=a booking for a large number of seats, rooms etc)· There's a 20% discount for group bookings.
The flood was caused by a blocked drain.· A large stone blocked the entrance to the tomb.
(=a large building divided into separate flats)· At the time, I lived in a block of flats in St John’s Wood.
American English (=money given by the central government to state governments in order to pay for services such as the police, roads etc)· Congress approved block grants for education, health, and social services.
· The fish were packed in blocks of ice, ready for transportation.
informal (=the newest person in a job, school etc) It’s not always easy being the new kid on the block.
It’s not always easy being the new kid on the block. (=so that you cannot breathe easily)· My nose is really blocked and I can't smell anything.
· It is likely that fat or grease is blocking the waste pipe.
· The main road was blocked for an hour while police cleared the accident.
· A pillar blocked my view of the stage.
· I used a block of wood to knock the pole into the ground.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· Each group is used for a different purpose, to inactivate bacteria or block the action of viruses, for example.· Corin Redgrave has blocked out the key action vividly, indicating the threatening turmoil of war and revolt.· Self-pity tends to block taking action that will be truly effective in reversing the downward spirals of primary and family diseases.· He has hinted that he will block action on it indefinitely.· Tried and trusted for generations, Drapolene's special formula won't block the action of disposable nappies.
· Sadly, however, a few Opposition Members sought to block the Bill as it neared the end of its passage through Parliament.· The vote came after majority Nationalist Party officials said today the party would use parliamentary procedures to block implementation of the bills.· Mrs Cresson has already several times hinted that parliament may be dissolved if the conservative opposition tries to block government bills.· Forty senators could block the bill because Senate rules require 60 votes to take up a conference committee report.· The majority Nationalists introduced an alternative tax bill Tuesday to block the opposition bill.· Dole often seemed frustrated and unsure of himself as Democrats blocked many of the bills he tried to move through Congress.· And they say they don't believe Wellstone has the votes to sustain a filibuster to block the bill.· But the blocked spending bills are pawns in a larger debate over the parties' competing seven-year balanced-budget plans.
· The travellers had already been thwarted by Gloucestershire police, who blocked entrances to a site in the Forest of Dean.· The rubble had temporarily blocked the entrance to the cavern below the Horseshoe Falls.· They have defied bailiffs by blocking the entrance to the building.· Five were arrested on a charge of trying to block an entrance to the Treasury Building.· The stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb was placed there for a purpose.· In London, two skips and six barrels full of toxic waste blocked the front entrance to the environment building.· They blocked the entrances in protest at what they claim is the unnecessary culling of badgers organised from the base.· We arrived at one which blocked one of the entrances to Debenham.
· He realized his mistake too late and when he turned back to the entrance Sabrina was already there, blocking his escape.· Harsh fortresses of prickly pears and shard grass and dead branches block off all escape.· Mr Letts tried to block their escape route and was mown down.· They are now both in front of her on the road, blocking any escape.· Swarms of wolf riders are often deployed ahead of the army's line of march to scout and block any route of escape.· Behind them a huge force of Orcs moved to block their escape.
· Two of them blocked her exit from the car park while the third smashed the car window to grab her handbag.· People loaded with shopping shoved her aside: she was blocking the exit of a big supermarket.· We had been coming on to the main road at about five miles an hour when three men had blocked our exit.· It blocked the exit to the driveway.· She quickly slipped ahead of the trolley pushers as one of them blocked the exit, manoeuvring his way through.
· It can also cause cold spots along the bottom of the radiator, without completely blocking the flow.· Strokes occur when blood vessels become clogged, blocking the flow of oxygen to an organ such as the brain.· There is a filter on the inlet side of the fuel pump which may be partially blocked and obstructing fuel flow.· Such an obstruction blocks the flow of bile from the gallbladder into the small intestine.· The other is how to define their offence without blocking the flow of information from companies to investors.· The Wall is designed to block the flow of information legitimately acquired by one department, to other departments.
· Archie suddenly loomed over me, his bloated Zeppelin figure blocking out what little light there was.· You need something to block the light.· So, again, suppose A is blocking up B's light.· The sun floods in, young plants shoot upwards and the struggle starts anew as the winners block light from their inferiors.· The house is kept in almost total darkness with a special membrane to block out ultra-violet light covering all the windows.· The belly continued to grow, blocking out the light.
· But senators opposed to the bases vowed to block its passage, calling it illegal.· A high Grand Coulee Dam, however, would block their passage for ever.· But this interruption also blocks the passage of ideas by shifting emphasis away from the signified.· Mike Lieberman was trying to block its passage.· A crowd had gathered, blocking the passage.· Many of his sperm do not even try to fertilize her eggs but instead either attack other sperm or block their passage.· This extreme version of the distrust of government has often been manipulated by the corporate sector to block passage of government regulation.
· He then walked out of the shop, despite the efforts of staff to block his path.· Investigators said this included having some one fall in front of the candidate to block his path.· The person or creature is blocking your path, so walk up and speak with it.· When such costs are taken seriously, the resulting fear effectively blocks the path to minimizing and blaming.· There are few trees, and fewer houses, to block its path.· I could see the muzzle flashes in the tree line fifty yards away, which blocked our take-off path.· She was moving slowly along the edge of the pavement when a car door swung open in front of her, blocking her path.· Edwards had a dream in which many of his friends and relatives were blocking the path down the triple-jump runway.
· Standing Room Only researchers can find no rules or regulations to block Newbon's revolutionary plan.· But several problems, including a marked lack of support from other countries, are blocking the plan.· South Pasadena residents repeatedly blocked plans to run the freeway through their city.· I have had friends whose girlfriends' families actively blocked their marriage plans.· His widow has blocked all plans to complete the story.
· So ferocious was the wind that the trees blew down and blocked the roads and railways.· The accident, which left wreckage spread over a wide area, blocked the road causing severe traffic disruption.· Wives of rocket forces troops in Siberia blocked the road to the missile silos in 1998 to protest unpaid wages.· Suddenly, cars swerved to block the road, and dozens of security officers fanned out through the crowd.· She heard the sound of another car behind her, and saw that she was blocking the narrow road.· Even after the first attacks numerous destroyed, burning vehicles would have blocked the road.· We reached to within 200m of the Centre until we were faced with lines of riot police blocking the roads.· The crash at High Craigton, around 8am, blocked the road for several hours.
· A police car emerged from the other alleyway and screeched to a halt ten yards in front of Whitlock, blocking his shot.· He can make shots, he can block shots....· His one chance came just before half-time when a defender's shins blocked his shot.· He can go through a slump and still block shots.· Six minutes from the end Murdoch again came to the visitors' rescue when he dived to block a shot from Hateley.· McCoy returned a few minutes later and quickly hit two mid-range jumpers and blocked two Bryant Boston shots in succession.· Five minutes later Hislop blocked a shot from Andy Cole, and Sheringham wafted the rebound over the bar.· And any time the Cardinal ventured into the lane, McCoy was there to block or alter shots.
· Maintaining a bella figura at all costs can cause problems greater than a partially blocked street.· There will also be close, searched boats, blocked streets and all the other inconveniences of a major political convention.· They had blocked the street off, rather as if an armed siege was in progress.· In the Santa Cruz neighborhood, witnesses said a building several stories high collapsed, blocking the street.· Barricades blocked the main streets and were erected in many neighbourhoods.· A large delivery van was almost blocking the narrow street, its high sides nearly shutting off the daylight from her windows.· The buildings block out the street lighting.
· They block the rear view of the road and make our quest to recover the tabs all the more difficult.· For a few seconds the squirrel was behind a few pine twigs that were blocking its view towards me.· Last night the piano had blocked his view, but he knew roughly where to look.· Perches should be placed so that the birds can see over a wide section without anything blocking their view.· Her main fun was watching television, and she threw things at people who blocked her view.· The soldiers so blocked spectators' view that the onlookers cheered, thinking the president was in the carriage.· The huge building across the street blocked my view of the horizon.· Yoyo stood before both of them, blocking their view of the soldiers in helicopters landing amid silenced gun reports and explosions.
· The chaprassi spotted the newcomer and stood up, blocking the way to the offices within.· A Secret Service agent blocked his way.· The first trolley was still stuck, its owner now flustered, aware that he was blocking everyone else's way.· Two uprooted palm trees blocked their way at the foot of the stairs.· Moss wiped their faces as they fought the live-oak branches that blocked their way.· Two black guys block our way.· The desire to be right is a stumbling block in a way.
VERB· Secretions which block or threaten to block his airway have to be removed by suction.· Republicans had threatened to block consideration of the Castle-Tanner substitute, authored primarily by Rep.· Some local politicians, led by Mr Antonovich, are threatening to block the necessary implementing regulations.· Yesterday the border farmers threatened to block the council scheme unless their own scheme was sanctioned.
· Mr Letts tried to block their escape route and was mown down.· Mike Lieberman was trying to block its passage.· Tom was one of several demonstrators who tried to block round a horsebox at the end of the meeting.· We are going to try to block them in a variety of ways and keep them guessing.· Razdolnoye's residents tried to block the Trans-Siberian railway line, and demonstrators filed through Vladivostok.· The Boyle goons tried to block the door or stuff cards into their hands.· Carla would curl up on his lap and hold her hands over her ears desperately trying to block out their arguing.· Daily protests involving hundreds of arrests were made as blacks tried to block the trucks.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► building blocks► I’ll knock your head/block off
- "That daughter of yours has a great sense of humour." "Yes, I like to think she's a chip off the old block!"
- Beware of becoming so fixated on this one position that you acquire a mental block against progressing further.
- Most of the blocks mentioned here are at the physical level, but the emotional and mental blocks are equally important.
- She developed a complete mental block against her pregnancy, and concealed it until four days before she went into labour.
- Spring focus: 2B Chuck Knoblauch claims he received help during the offseason with his mental block on routine throws.
- Their mocking faces caused a mental block - or a block somewhere else.
- With the uh, mental block.
WORD FAMILYnounblockblockageblockadeverbblockunblockblockadeadjectiveblockedunblocked
1 (also block up) to prevent anything moving through a space by being or placing something across it or in it: A fallen tree is blocking the road. The sink’s blocked up.2 block somebody’s way/path/exit/escape etc to stand in front of someone, so that they cannot go past: I tried to get through, but there were people blocking my way.3to stop something happening, developing, or succeeding: The Senate blocked publication of the report. laws designed to block imports of cheap tobacco4 block somebody’s view to be in front of someone, so that they cannot see something: The huge building across the street blocked our view of the sea.5 (also block out) to stop light reaching a place: Can you move? You’re blocking my light.6to stop a ball, a blow etc from getting to where your opponent wants it to: a shot blocked by the goalkeeperblock somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb1to park your car too close to another car, so that the other one cannot drive away2to paint or draw simple shapes or areas of colour: I’ll just block in the main buildings.block something↔ off phrasal verb to completely close something such as a road or an opening: Police blocked off the city centre streets. The fireplace had been blocked off.block something↔ out1to stop light reaching a place: There was a heavy curtain blocking out the light.2to stop yourself thinking about something or remembering it: a memory so terrible that she tried to block it out