block : Idioms & Phrases

Index


A block of shares

  • (Stock Exchange), a large number of shares in a stock company, sold in a lump. Bartlett.
Webster 1913

A chip off the old block

  • a child who resembles either of his parents. Colloq. Milton.-
Webster 1913

alpha-adrenergic blocking agent

  • noun any of various drugs that block alpha-adrenergic receptors; used in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia; relaxes the muscles of the prostate and bladder
    alpha-adrenergic blocker; alpha-blocker; alpha blocker.
WordNet

atrioventricular block

  • noun recurrent sudden attacks of unconsciousness caused by impaired conduction of the impulse that regulates the heartbeat
    atrioventricular block; Stokes-Adams syndrome; Adams-Stokes syndrome.
WordNet

auction block

  • noun a platform from which an auctioneer sells
    block.
    • they put their paintings on the block
WordNet

bad block

  • noun (computer science) a block (usually one sector) that cannot reliably hold data
WordNet

beta-adrenergic blocking agent

  • noun any of various drugs used in treating hypertension or arrhythmia; decreases force and rate of heart contractions by blocking beta-adrenergic receptors of the autonomic nervous system
    beta blocker; beta-adrenergic blocking agent; beta-adrenergic blocker.
WordNet

beta-blocking agent

  • noun any of various drugs used in treating hypertension or arrhythmia; decreases force and rate of heart contractions by blocking beta-adrenergic receptors of the autonomic nervous system
    beta blocker; beta-adrenergic blocking agent; beta-adrenergic blocker.
WordNet

block anaesthesia

  • noun anesthesia of an area supplied by a nerve; produced by an anesthetic agent applied to the nerve
    block anesthesia; block anaesthesia; conduction anaesthesia; conduction anesthesia; nerve block anaesthesia.
WordNet

block and tackle

  • noun pulley blocks with associated rope or cable
WordNet

block anesthesia

  • noun anesthesia of an area supplied by a nerve; produced by an anesthetic agent applied to the nerve
    block anesthesia; block anaesthesia; conduction anaesthesia; conduction anesthesia; nerve block anaesthesia.
WordNet

block book

Block" book`
Definitions
  1. A book printed from engraved wooden blocks instead of movable types.
Webster 1913

block capital

  • noun a plain hand-drawn letter
    block capital.
WordNet

block diagram

  • noun a diagram showing the interconnections between the components of system (especially an electronic system)
WordNet

block grant

  • noun a grant of federal money to state and local governments to support social welfare programs
    • block grants reduce federal responsibility for social welfare
WordNet

block letter

  • noun a plain hand-drawn letter
    block capital.
WordNet

block of metal

  • noun metal that is cast in the shape of a block for convenient handling
    metal bar; ingot.
WordNet

block off

  • verb obstruct access to
    blockade.
  • verb render unsuitable for passage
    bar; stop; blockade; barricade; block off; block.
    • block the way
    • barricade the streets
    • stop the busy road
  • verb block off the passage through
    close off; shut off.
    • We shut off the valve
WordNet

block out

  • verb plan where and when songs should be inserted into a theatrical production, or plan a theatrical production in general
  • verb prevent from entering
    screen.
    • block out the strong sunlight
  • verb shield from light
    mask.
  • verb indicate roughly
    • We sketched out our plan
WordNet

block plane

  • noun a small plane used on end grains of wood
WordNet

Block printing

  • . (a) A mode of printing (common in China and Japan) from engraved boards by means of a sheet of paper laid on the linked surface and rubbed with a brush. S. W. Williams. (b) A method of printing cotton cloth and paper hangings with colors, by pressing them upon an engraved surface coated with coloring matter.
Webster 1913

Block system

  • on railways, a system by which the track is divided into sections of three or four miles, and trains are so run by the guidance of electric signals that no train enters a section or block before the preceding train has left it.
Webster 1913

block tin

Block" tin`
Definitions
  1. See under Tin.
Webster 1913

block up

  • verb render unsuitable for passage
    bar; stop; blockade; barricade; block off; block.
    • block the way
    • barricade the streets
    • stop the busy road
WordNet

block vote

  • noun a vote proportional in magnitude to the number of people that a delegate represents
WordNet

blocking agent

  • noun a class of drugs that inhibit (block) some biological process
    blocker.
WordNet

blocking course

Block"ing course`
Definitions
  1. (Arch.) The finishing course of a wall showing above a cornice.
Webster 1913

Brake block

  • . (a) The part of a brake holding the brake shoe. (b) A brake shoe.
Webster 1913

breeze block

  • noun a light concrete building block made with cinder aggregate
    cinder block; breeze block.
    • cinder blocks are called breeze blocks in Britain
WordNet

building block

  • noun a single undivided natural thing occurring in the composition of something else
    unit.
    • units of nucleic acids
  • noun a block of material used in construction work
WordNet

bullock block

  • noun a pulley-block at the head of a topmast
    bollock.
WordNet

butcher block

  • noun a thick wooden slab formed by bonding together thick laminated strips of unpainted hardwood
    butcher board.
WordNet

Cat block

  • (Naut.), a heavy iron-strapped block with a large hook, part of the tackle used in drawing an anchor up to the cathead.
Webster 1913

caudal block

  • noun regional anesthesia resulting from injection of an anesthetic into the caudal end of the spinal canal; now largely replaced by epidural anesthesia
    caudal anesthesia; caudal anaesthesia.
WordNet

Cheeks of a block

  • the two sides of the shell of a tackle block.
Webster 1913

chock-a-block

  • adverb as completely as possible
    chock.
    • it was chock-a-block full
WordNet

Chopping block

  • noun a steady wooden block on which food can be cut or diced or wood can be split
WordNet
  • a solid block of wood on which butchers and others chop meat, etc.
Webster 1913

cinder block

  • noun a light concrete building block made with cinder aggregate
    cinder block; breeze block.
    • cinder blocks are called breeze blocks in Britain
WordNet

city block

  • noun a rectangular area in a city surrounded by streets and usually containing several buildings
    block.
    • he lives in the next block
WordNet

Clew-line block

  • (Naut.), The block through which a clew line reeves. See Illust. of Block.
Webster 1913

clinker block

  • noun a light concrete building block made with cinder aggregate
    cinder block; breeze block.
    • cinder blocks are called breeze blocks in Britain
WordNet

cylinder block

  • noun a metal casting containing the cylinders and cooling ducts of an engine
    cylinder block; block.
    • the engine had to be replaced because the block was cracked
WordNet

damper block

  • noun damper consisting of a small felted block that drops onto a piano string to stop its vibration
    piano damper.
WordNet

Dead block

  • either of two wooden or iron blocks intended to serve instead of buffers at the end of a freight car.
Webster 1913

engine block

  • noun a metal casting containing the cylinders and cooling ducts of an engine
    cylinder block; block.
    • the engine had to be replaced because the block was cracked
WordNet

Erratic blocks, gravel, etc.

  • (Geol.), masses of stone which have been transported from their original resting places by the agency of water, ice, or other causes.
Webster 1913

Fiddle block

  • (Naut.), a long tackle block having two sheaves of different diameters in the same plane, instead of side by side as in a common double block. Knight.
Webster 1913

fish-block

Fish"-block` noun
Definitions
  1. See Fish-tackle.
Webster 1913

Fly block

  • (Naut.), a pulley whose position shifts to suit the working of the tackle with which it is connected; used in the hoisting tackle of yards.
Webster 1913

Gin block

  • a simple form of tackle block, having one wheel, over which a rope runs; called also whip gin, rubbish pulley, and monkey wheel.
Webster 1913

Gold blocking

  • printing with gold leaf, as upon a book cover, by means of an engraved block. Knight.
Webster 1913

Guide block

  • (Steam Engine), a block attached in to the crosshead to work in contact with the guide bar.
Webster 1913

Hat block

  • a block on which hats are formed or dressed.
Webster 1913

Hawse block

  • a block used to stop up a hawse hole at sea; called also hawse plug.
Webster 1913

heart block

  • noun recurrent sudden attacks of unconsciousness caused by impaired conduction of the impulse that regulates the heartbeat
    atrioventricular block; Stokes-Adams syndrome; Adams-Stokes syndrome.
WordNet

Horn block

  • the frame or pedestal in which a railway car axle box slides up and down; also called horn plate.
Webster 1913

Jack block

  • (Naut.), a block fixed in the topgallant or royal rigging, used for raising and lowering light masts and spars.
Webster 1913

Jewel block

  • (Naut.), block at the extremity of a yard, through which the halyard of a studding sail is rove.
Webster 1913

line block

  • noun engraving consisting of a block that has been etched or engraved
    line engraving; linecut.
WordNet

measuring block

  • noun a unit of measurement
    measuring unit.
WordNet

mental block

  • noun an inability to remember or think of something you normally can do; often caused by emotional tension
    block.
    • I knew his name perfectly well but I had a temporary block
WordNet

Monkey block

  • (Naut.), a small single block strapped with a swivel. R. H. Dana, Jr.
Webster 1913

Mooring block

  • (Naut.), a heavy block of cast iron sometimes used as an anchor for mooring vessels.
Webster 1913

Motion block

  • (Steam Engine), a crosshead.
Webster 1913

nerve block anaesthesia

  • noun anesthesia of an area supplied by a nerve; produced by an anesthetic agent applied to the nerve
    block anesthesia; block anaesthesia; conduction anaesthesia; conduction anesthesia; nerve block anaesthesia.
WordNet

nerve block anesthesia

  • noun anesthesia of an area supplied by a nerve; produced by an anesthetic agent applied to the nerve
    block anesthesia; block anaesthesia; conduction anaesthesia; conduction anesthesia; nerve block anaesthesia.
WordNet

neuromuscular blocking agent

  • noun a substance that interferes with the neural transmission between motor neurons and skeletal muscles
WordNet

office block

  • noun a building containing offices where work is done
    office building.
WordNet

paracervical block

  • noun regional anesthesia resulting from the injection of a local anesthetic on each side of the cervix; used during labor and childbirth
WordNet

pillar-block

Pil"lar-block` noun
Definitions
  1. See under Pillow.
Webster 1913

Pillow block

  • noun a cast-iron or steel block for supporting a journal or bearing
WordNet
  • (Mach.), a block, or standard, for supporting a journal, as of a shaft. It is usually bolted to the frame or foundation of a machine, and is often furnished with journal boxes, and a movable cover, or cap, for tightening the bearings by means of bolts; called also pillar block, or plumber block.
Webster 1913

plumber block

Plumb"er block`
Definitions
  1. A pillow block.
Webster 1913

pudendal block

  • noun regional anesthesia resulting from the use of a local anesthetic to deaden the pudendal nerves in the region of the vulva and labia majora; used to ease discomfort during childbirth
WordNet

Pulley block

  • noun a simple machine consisting of a wheel with a groove in which a rope can run to change the direction or point of application of a force applied to the rope
    pulley; pulley block; block.
WordNet
  • . Same as Block, n. 6.
Webster 1913

pulley-block

  • noun a simple machine consisting of a wheel with a groove in which a rope can run to change the direction or point of application of a force applied to the rope
    pulley; pulley block; block.
WordNet

Quarter block

  • (Naut.), a block fitted under the quarters of a yard on each side of the slings, through which the clew lines and sheets are reeved. R. H. Dana, Jr.
Webster 1913

Quartering block

  • a block on which the body of a condemned criminal was quartered.
Webster 1913

Rack block

  • . (Naut.) See def. 1 (f), above.
Webster 1913

Running block

  • (Mech.), a block in an arrangement of pulleys which rises or sinks with the weight which is raised or lowered.
Webster 1913

saddle block anaesthesia

  • noun the parts of a patient's body that would touch a saddle if the patient were sitting in one are anesthetized by injecting a local anesthetic into the spinal cord
    saddle block anaesthesia.
WordNet

saddle block anesthesia

  • noun the parts of a patient's body that would touch a saddle if the patient were sitting in one are anesthetized by injecting a local anesthetic into the spinal cord
    saddle block anaesthesia.
WordNet

Salt block

  • an apparatus for evaporating brine; a salt factory. Knight.
Webster 1913

scribbling block

  • noun pad for preliminary or hasty writing or notes or sketches etc
    scratch pad; scratch paper.
    • scribbling block" is a British term
WordNet

scribing block

  • noun gauge consisting of a scriber mounted on an adjustable stand; used to test the accuracy of plane surfaces
    surface gauge; surface gage.
WordNet

Shoe block

  • (Naut.), a block with two sheaves, one above the other, and at right angles to each other.
Webster 1913

Shoulder block

  • (Naut.), a block with a projection, or shoulder, near the upper end, so that it can rest against a spar without jamming the rope.
Webster 1913

sketch block

  • noun a book containing sheets of paper on which sketches can be drawn
    sketch pad; sketchbook.
WordNet

snatch block

  • noun a pulley-block that can be opened to receive the bight of a rope
WordNet
Snatch block
Definitions
  1. (Naut.), a kind of block with an opening in one side to receive the bight of a rope.
Webster 1913

Span blocks

  • (Naut.), blocks at the topmast and topgallant-mast heads, for the studding-sail halyards.
Webster 1913

square block

  • noun a block in the (approximate) shape of a cube
    cube.
WordNet

starting block

  • noun block providing bracing for a runner's feet at start of a race
WordNet

Stereotype block

  • a block, usually of wood, to which a stereotype plate is attached while being used in printing.
Webster 1913

Strike block

  • (Carp.), a plane shorter than a jointer, used for fitting a short joint. Moxon.
Webster 1913

stumbling block

  • noun any obstacle or impediment
WordNet

stumbling-block

Stum"bling-block` noun
Definitions
  1. Any cause of stumbling, perplexity, or error.
    We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. 1 Cor. i. 23.
Webster 1913

Swage block

  • noun an iron block cut with holes and grooves to assist in cold working metal
WordNet
  • a perforated block of iron, having grooved sides and adapted for use in heading bolts and swaging objects of large size.
Webster 1913

Thick-and-thin block

  • (Naut.), a fiddle block. See under Fiddle.
Webster 1913

To block out

  • to begin to reduce to shape; to mark out roughly; to lay out; as, to block out a plan.
Webster 1913

top-block

Top"-block` noun
Definitions
  1. (Naut.) A large ironbound block strapped with a hook, and, when used, hung to an eyebolt in the cap, -- used in swaying and lowering the topmast. Totten.
Webster 1913

tower block

  • noun tower consisting of a multistoried building of offices or apartments
    high-rise.
    • `tower block' is the British term for `high-rise'
WordNet

trap block

  • noun (American football) an illegal block
WordNet

wood block

  • noun engraving consisting of a block of wood with a design cut into it; used to make prints
    wood engraving; woodcut.
WordNet

writer's block

  • noun an inability to write; the words wouldn't come"
    • he had writer's block
WordNet

Yule block, ∨ Yule log

  • a large log of wood formerly put on the hearth of Christmas eve, as the foundation of the fire. It was brought in with much ceremony.
Webster 1913