Chockablock

Pronunciation

Alternative forms

• chock-a-block
• chock a block

Origin

chock + a + block

Full definition of chockablock

Adjective

1. (nautical) (of a ship's hoisting tackle) Having the blocks drawn close together so no further movement is possible, as when the tackle is hauled to the utmost.
2. (by extension) Jammed tightly together; very crowded; completely filled or stuffed.Some of Sardinia's gorgeous seaside towns have lately been invaded by builders who erected chockablock housing that catered to middle-income tourists but threatened to spoil the landscape.

Adverb

1. In a crowded manner; as completely or closely as possible.His study had books stacked chockablock on every shelf.The meeting hall was chockablock full of angry citizens.
• 2012, The Economist, Oct 13th 2012, Free exchange: Concrete gainsAMERICA is full of vast, empty spaces. Europe, by contrast, seems chock-a-block with humanity, its history shaped by a lack of continental elbowroom.

Related terms

• chock
• chocker
• chockers
• chockful, chockfull, chock-full, chock full