blocker
/ˈblɒk.ər/ (bre, ipa) · [blˈɑkɚ] /ˈblɑː.kɚ/ (ame, ipa) · [blˈɑkɚ] /ˈbläk How to pronounce block (audio)/ (ame, mw)
blocker — noun
1. A person, thing, or situation that stops a plan, action, or process from going f
A person, thing, or situation that stops a plan, action, or process from going forward or ending well.
A missed permit became the biggest blocker to opening the cafe on time.
pattern: blocker to + gerund
Jude said high data costs were still a blocker for many rural students.
Trust was the main blocker after the company broke its promise last year.
For Yasmin, child care was the blocker keeping her from night classes.
文法句型
a blocker to + gerund
a blocker for + person / group
the main blocker to + plan / progress
用法筆記
This broad sense often refers to a practical problem, a person, or a missing condition that keeps something from happening. Distinguish it from sense 2, which is a physical object that blocks movement or passage.
2. An object placed somewhere so that people, light, smoke, vehicles, or other thin
An object placed somewhere so that people, light, smoke, vehicles, or other things cannot get through.
A fallen tree acted as a blocker across the narrow road after the storm.
pattern: blocker across + road / path
The thick curtain was a blocker that kept light from reaching the bedroom.
pattern: blocker that kept ... from ...
Workers slid a metal blocker under the door to stop smoke spreading.
At the tunnel entrance, a concrete blocker stopped trucks from driving through.
- barrier
the most general word for something that blocks movement or passage
- obstruction
slightly more formal; often used for something that gets in the way unexpectedly
- shield
suggests protection as well as blocking, not just being in the way
文法句型
use a blocker to stop + noun
place a blocker across + path / road
a blocker that keeps + noun + from + gerund
用法筆記
This sense is about a real object in a place, not a general problem. It commonly appears with words for roads, doors, light, smoke, or other things being stopped.
3. A medicine or substance that stops or slows a particular process in the body.
A medicine or substance that stops or slows a particular process in the body.
Doctors gave Andres a blocker to slow the extra signals in his heart.
pattern: blocker to slow + body process
This blocker keeps the stomach from making too much acid at night.
pattern: keep + organ + from + gerund
The cream contains a blocker that reduces the body's allergic response.
Researchers tested whether the blocker could prevent the virus from entering cells.
- inhibitor
more technical and common in scientific writing
- suppressant
often stresses reducing activity rather than fully stopping one pathway
- agent
a much broader scientific word for a substance that causes an effect
- stimulator
something that increases or starts activity instead of reducing it
- activator
a substance that helps a process happen more strongly
文法句型
take a blocker for + condition
a blocker that reduces + process
use a blocker to prevent + noun
用法筆記
This medical sense usually names the body process being reduced, such as acid production, nerve signals, or an allergic reaction. Unlike sense 1, it refers to a drug or substance rather than a broad obstacle.
常見錯誤
4. In the US form of football, an attacking teammate who keeps defenders away from
In the US form of football, an attacking teammate who keeps defenders away from the runner or quarterback.
The blocker pushed the defender aside so the runner could reach the end zone.
role: opens space for the runner
Our left blocker missed his assignment, and the quarterback was hit at once.
football collocation: miss an assignment
Coach Darnell praised the blocker who opened a wide lane for Jude's run.
On the goal-line play, the blocker drove two defenders backward.
- lineman
broader team-role word; not every lineman is described specifically by the blocking task
- protector
general word; does not sound like a fixed sports position name
- lead blocker
more specific phrase for the player who runs ahead of the ball carrier
- defender
the opposing player trying to stop the play
文法句型
a blocker who opens a lane
left / lead blocker
the blocker missed the assignment
用法筆記
This sense belongs to offensive American football. The blocker protects the ball carrier or quarterback by taking a defender out of the play, rather than carrying the ball personally.
常見錯誤
5. In ice hockey, the thick piece of hand and arm equipment a goaltender uses to kn
In ice hockey, the thick piece of hand and arm equipment a goaltender uses to knock the puck away.
The goalie stopped the puck with the blocker and froze play.
hockey equipment: stop the puck with the blocker
Lotte asked for a lighter blocker because her wrist hurt after practice.
A hard shot struck the blocker and bounced into the corner.
Before the season, the club bought each young goalie a new blocker.
- goalie glove
broader everyday wording for a goaltender's hand equipment
- blocker pad
more technical phrase stressing the padded shape of the equipment
- catch glove
the other goalie glove, used mainly for catching rather than batting pucks away
文法句型
catch the puck in the blocker
a blocker on the glove hand
wear a new blocker
用法筆記
This sense names one piece of a goaltender's protective gear, not the player. It is used mainly in ice hockey talk about saves, rebounds, and equipment fit.