| block grant | a grant of federal money to state and local governments to support social welfare programs, block grants reduce federal responsibility for social welfare |
| block vote | a vote proportional in magnitude to the number of people that a delegate represents |
blocking
block | the act of obstructing or deflecting someone's movements |
| trap block | (American football) an illegal block |
bodybuilding
anaerobic exercise
muscle building
musclebuilding | exercise that builds muscles through tension |
construction
building | the act of constructing something, during the construction we had to take a detour, his hobby was the building of boats |
shipbuilding
ship building | the construction of ships |
| construction building | the commercial activity involved in repairing old structures or constructing new ones, their main business is home construction, workers in the building trades |
| jerry-building | construction of inferior buildings for a quick profit |
morale building
morale booster | anything that serves to increase morale, the sight of flowers every morning was my morale builder |
apartment building
apartment house | a building that is divided into apartments |
auction block
block | a platform from which an auctioneer sells, they put their paintings on the block |
bank
bank building | a building in which the business of banking transacted, the bank is on the corner of Nassau and Witherspoon |
| block | a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides), the pyramids were built with large stone blocks |
| block | housing in a large building that is divided into separate units, there is a block of classrooms in the west wing |
blockage
block closure
occlusion
stop stoppage | an obstruction in a pipe or tube, we had to call a plumber to clear out the blockage in the drainpipe |
| block and tackle | pulley blocks with associated rope or cable |
| block diagram | a diagram showing the interconnections between the components of system (especially an electronic system) |
| block plane | a small plane used on end grains of wood |
bollock
bullock block | a pulley-block at the head of a topmast |
building
edifice | a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place, there was a three-story building on the corner, it was an imposing edifice |
| building block | a block of material used in construction work |
building complex
complex | a whole structure (as a building) made up of interconnected or related structures |
building supply store
building supply house | a store where builders can purchase materials for building houses and related structures |
butcher board
butcher block | a thick wooden slab formed by bonding together thick laminated strips of unpainted hardwood |
Capitol
Capitol Building | the government building in Washington where the United States Senate and the House of Representatives meet |
| chopping block | a steady wooden block on which food can be cut or diced or wood can be split |
church
church building | a place for public (especially Christian) worship, the church was empty |
cinder block
clinker block
breeze block | a light concrete building block made with cinder aggregate, cinder blocks are called breeze blocks in Britain |
cube
square block | a block in the (approximate) shape of a cube |
damper block
piano damper | damper consisting of a small felted block that drops onto a piano string to stop its vibration |
| diplomatic building | government building in which diplomats live or work |
| Empire State Building | a skyscraper built in New York City in ,feet tall |
engine block
cylinder block
block | a metal casting containing the cylinders and cooling ducts of an engine, the engine had to be replaced because the block was cracked |
| farm building | a building on a farm |
| government building | a building that houses a branch of government |
highise
tower block | tower consisting of a multistoried building of offices or apartments, `tower block' is the British term for `highise' |
ingot
metal bar
block of metal | metal that is cast in the shape of a block for convenient handling |
linecut
line block
line engraving | engraving consisting of a block that has been etched or engraved |
medical building
health facility
healthcare facility | building where medicine is practiced |
office building
office block | a building containing offices where work is done |
| pillow block | a cast-iron or steel block for supporting a journal or bearing |
pulley
pulley-block
pulley block
block | 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 |
| Roman building | a building constructed by the ancient Romans |
sketchbook
sketch block
sketch pad | a book containing sheets of paper on which sketches can be drawn |
| snatch block | a pulley-block that can be opened to receive the bight of a rope |
| starting block | block providing bracing for a runner's feet at start of a race |
| stumbling block | any obstacle or impediment |
surface gauge
surface gage
scribing block | gauge consisting of a scriber mounted on an adjustable stand, used to test the accuracy of plane surfaces |
| swage block | an iron block cut with holes and grooves to assist in cold working metal |