block

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. hindrance, blockage, obstruction; row, street, square (See abode); mass, lump, cube (See density). —v. t. impede, check, stop, bar; thwart, foil. See closure, identity.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [A mass, usually with flat surfaces]

Syn. slab, chunk, piece, square, cake, cube, slice, segment, loaf, clod, bar, ingot, oblong, section, mill end, hunk*; see also brick , slab , stone .

2. [The area between streets]

Syn. square, city square, lots, neighborhood; see neighborhood .

3. [The distance of the side of a block, sense 2]

Syn. street, city block, intersection; see distance 3 .

4. [An obstruction]

Syn. hindrance, bar, obstacle; see barrier .

5. [In sports, an obstruction to a move or play]

Syn. charge, tackle, check, body check, body block, running block, cross-body block, downfield block, pick ( in basketball ).

6. [A massive object]

Syn. chunk, mass, impediment, solid, cylinder block, slab, base; see also sense 1.

7. [A pulley]

Syn. sheave, wheel, hoist, rope-block, chain-block, lift.

8. [A chunk used for chopping]

Syn. chopping block, slab, breadboard, cheeseboard, table, butcher block, cutting board.

9. [Place of execution]

Syn. headsman's block, guillotine, scaffold, stake, tree, cross, gibbet; see also gallows .

• knock someone's block off*,

Syn. thrash, hit, beat up; see beat 2 .

v.

1. [To impede]

Syn. obstruct, interfere with, prevent, close off; see bar 1 , hinder .

2. [In sports, to impede a play]

Syn. throw a block, tackle, charge, check, block out, take out of play.

3. [To shape on or as if on a block]

Syn. press, shape, reshape, mold; see form 1 .

See Synonym Study at hinder .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

1. mass chunk, hunk, brick, lump, bar, cube, square, cake.

2. obstruction obstacle, impediment, bar, snag, stop, barrier, hindrance.

II

v.

obstruct, impede, bar, stop, hinder, close off, occlude, interfere with, intercept, stymie, thwart, barricade, arrest, dam.

ANT.: open, free, clear, facilitate

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun 1. Something that impedes or prevents entry or passage: bar, barricade, barrier, blockage, clog, hamper, hindrance, hurdle, impediment, obstacle, obstruction, snag, stop, traverse, wall. See HELP, OPEN. 2. Slang. The uppermost part of the body: head, noddle, pate, poll. Slang: bean, conk, dome, noggin, noodle, nut. See BODY. II verb 1. To stop or prevent passage of: bar, dam, impede, obstruct. Idiom: be (or stand) in the way of. See OPEN. 2. To plug up something, as a hole, space, or container: choke, clog, close, congest, cork, fill, plug, stop. See FULL. 3. To cut off from sight. Also used with out: conceal, hide1, obscure, obstruct, screen, shroud, shut off (or out). See SHOW.