n.1. a. A solid piece of a hard substance, such as wood, having one or more flat sides.
b. Such a piece used as a construction member or as a support.
c. Such a piece upon which chopping or cutting is done: a butcher's block.
d. Such a piece upon which persons are beheaded.
e. One of a set of small wooden or plastic pieces, such as a cube, bar, or cylinder, used as a building toy.
f. Printing A large amount of text.
g. Sports A starting block.
2. A stand from which articles are displayed and sold at an auction: Many priceless antiques went on the block.
3. A mold or form on which an item is shaped or displayed: a hat block.
4. A substance, such as wood or stone, that has been prepared for engraving.
5. a. A pulley or a system of pulleys set in a casing.
b. An engine block.
6. A bloc.
7. A set of like items, such as shares of stock, sold or handled as a unit.
8. A group of four or more unseparated postage stamps forming a rectangle.
9. Canadian A group of townships in an unsurveyed area.
10. a. A usually rectangular section of a city or town bounded on each side by consecutive streets.
b. A segment of a street bounded by consecutive cross streets and including its buildings and inhabitants.
11. A large building divided into separate units, such as apartments.
12. A length of railroad track controlled by signals.
13. Something that obstructs; an obstacle: The disabled car formed a block in traffic.
14. The act of preventing someone or something from advancing, passing, or progressing, as:
a. Sports An act of bodily obstruction, as of a player or the ball.
b. Football An act of legally using one's body to obstruct or move a defensive player so that a player in possession of the ball may advance downfield, pass, or otherwise execute an offensive play.
15. Medicine Interruption or obstruction of a physiological function: nerve block.
16. Psychology A sudden cessation of speech or a thought process without an immediate observable cause, sometimes considered a consequence of repression. Also called mental block.
17. Slang The human head: threatened to knock my block off.
v.tr.1. a. To stop or impede the passage of or movement through; obstruct: block traffic; mud that blocked the pipe.
b. To prevent from happening, succeeding, or progressing: blocked every attempt to reform the rules.
c. To shut out from view: a curtain blocking the stage.
d. To stop the passage of (a motion or bill) in a legislative assembly.
e. Sports To prevent or slow the movement of (an opponent) by using one's body, as by making a block in football.
f. Sports To stop or deflect (a ball or puck) by using one's body.
g. Medicine To interrupt or obstruct the functioning of (a physiological process), especially by the use of drugs.
h. Psychology To fail to remember.
2. To support, strengthen, or retain in place by means of a block.
3. To shape, mold, or form with or on a block: block a hat.
4. To indicate broadly without great detail; sketch. Often used with out: block out a plan of action; block out stage movements.
5. To run (trains) on a block system.
