blocking
Americannoun
noun
-
electronics the interruption of anode current in a valve because of the application of a high negative voltage to the grid
-
internal congestion in a communication system that prevents the transmission of information
Other Word Forms
- nonblocking adjective
Etymology
Origin of blocking
Explanation
When you obstruct someone from seeing or doing something, that's blocking. In most sports, blocking your opponent is a huge part of playing the game. Blocking the player who's trying to make a basket is one kind of blocking. There's also blocking a street for the neighborhood block party, or blocking your ex-friend on social media. In each case, you're cutting off access in some way. In theater, the word takes on a different meaning, "the staging of actors." This use stems from the 19th-century theater, when directors would frequently use wooden blocks to plan out the actors' positions on a miniature stage.
Vocabulary lists containing blocking
Academic and Literary Vocabulary, Unit 2
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Academic Vocabulary and Literary Terms, Unit 5
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The Black Girl Survives in This One
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sun accused World Liberty Financial of blocking him from selling a stake he first amassed in the company in late 2024, just after President Trump was elected to a second term.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
By blocking a protein known as Ant2, they were able to change how these cells produce and use energy, essentially rewiring their internal power supply.
From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026
Demonstrators in the Republic of Ireland had been blocking fuel depots and motorways for nearly a week.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
For decades, the Great Firewall worked because information control meant controlling distribution channels by blocking websites, filtering search results, and monitoring social media.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
The driver rose from the seat like a balloon and came to a stop against the door, blocking the exit.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
