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 |
resistance opposition | the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with, he encountered a general feeling of resistance from many citizens, despite opposition from the newspapers he went ahead |
line of least resistance path of least resistance | the easiest way, In marrying him she simply took the path of least resistance |
blocking block | the act of obstructing or deflecting someone's movements |
trap block | (American football) an illegal block |
least effort least resistance | the least effortful way to do something |
resistance | the military action of resisting the enemy's advance, the enemy offered little resistance |
resistance | group action in opposition to those in power |
sales resistance | resistance by potential customers to aggressive selling practices |
passive resistance nonviolent resistance nonviolence | peaceful resistance to a government by fasting or refusing to cooperate |
auction block block | a platform from which an auctioneer sells, they put their paintings on the block |
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 block | a block of material used in construction work |
butcher board butcher block | a thick wooden slab formed by bonding together thick laminated strips of unpainted hardwood |
chopping block | a steady wooden block on which food can be cut or diced or wood can be split |
cinder block clinker block breeze block | a light concrete building block made with cinder aggregate, cinder blocks are called breeze blocks in Britain |
collector's item showpiece piece de resistance | the outstanding item (the prize piece or main exhibit) in a collection |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
resistance pyrometer | pyrometer that measures high temperatures by the resistance in a heated wire |
resistance thermometer platinum thermometer | thermometer that measures temperature by changes in the resistance of a spiral of platinum wire |
resistor resistance | an electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current |
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 |
woodcut wood block wood engraving | engraving consisting of a block of wood with a design cut into it, used to make prints |
resistance | (psychiatry) an unwillingness to bring repressed feelings into conscious awareness |
resistance | the degree of unresponsiveness of a diseaseausing microorganism to antibiotics or other drugs (as in penicillinesistant bacteria) |
block mental block | an inability to remember or think of something you normally can do, often caused by emotional tension, I knew his name perfectly well but I had a temporary block |
writer's block | an inability to write, he had writer's block, the words wouldn't come |
block letter block capital | a plain hand-drawn letter |
piece de resistance | the most important dish of a meal |
block | a number or quantity of related things dealt with as a unit, he reserved a large block of seats, he held a large block of the company's stock |