Bloc

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /blÉ‘k/
• UK IPA: /blÉ’k/
• Homophone: block

Origin

From French bloc ("group, block"), from Middle French bloc ("a considerable piece of something heavy, block"), from Old French bloc ("log, block"), from Middle Dutch blok ("treetrunk"), from Old Saxon *blok ("log"), from Proto-Germanic *blukką ("beam, log"), from Proto-Indo-European *bhulg'-, from *bhelg'- ("thick plank, beam, pile, prop"). Cognate with Old High German bloh, bloc (German Block, "block"), Old English bolca ("gangway of a ship, plank"), Old Norse bǫlkr (Norwegian bolk, "divider, partition"). More at balk.

Full definition of bloc

Noun

1. a group of voters or politicians who share common goals
2. a group of countries acting together for political or economic goals, an alliance: e.g., the eastern bloc, the western bloc, a trading bloc

Derived terms

• Eastern Bloc
• Soviet Bloc
• trading bloc

Anagrams

• LCBO