What's the difference between block and encumber?

Block


Definition:

  • (v. t.) A piece of wood more or less bulky; a solid mass of wood, stone, etc., usually with one or more plane, or approximately plane, faces; as, a block on which a butcher chops his meat; a block by which to mount a horse; children's playing blocks, etc.
  • (v. t.) The solid piece of wood on which condemned persons lay their necks when they are beheaded.
  • (v. t.) The wooden mold on which hats, bonnets, etc., are shaped.
  • (v. t.) The pattern or shape of a hat.
  • (v. t.) A large or long building divided into separate houses or shops, or a number of houses or shops built in contact with each other so as to form one building; a row of houses or shops.
  • (v. t.) A square, or portion of a city inclosed by streets, whether occupied by buildings or not.
  • (v. t.) A grooved pulley or sheave incased in a frame or shell which is provided with a hook, eye, or strap, by which it may be attached to an object. It is used to change the direction of motion, as in raising a heavy object that can not be conveniently reached, and also, when two or more such sheaves are compounded, to change the rate of motion, or to exert increased force; -- used especially in the rigging of ships, and in tackles.
  • (v. t.) The perch on which a bird of prey is kept.
  • (v. t.) Any obstruction, or cause of obstruction; a stop; a hindrance; an obstacle; as, a block in the way.
  • (v. t.) A piece of box or other wood for engravers' work.
  • (v. t.) A piece of hard wood (as mahogany or cherry) on which a stereotype or electrotype plate is mounted to make it type high.
  • (v. t.) A blockhead; a stupid fellow; a dolt.
  • (v. t.) A section of a railroad where the block system is used. See Block system, below.
  • (n.) To obstruct so as to prevent passage or progress; to prevent passage from, through, or into, by obstructing the way; -- used both of persons and things; -- often followed by up; as, to block up a road or harbor.
  • (n.) To secure or support by means of blocks; to secure, as two boards at their angles of intersection, by pieces of wood glued to each.
  • (n.) To shape on, or stamp with, a block; as, to block a hat.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Application of 40 microM NiCl2 reversibly blocked It while leaving Is intact, whereas 20 microM CdCl2 reversibly blocked Is, but not It.
  • (2) The effects of sessions, individual characteristics, group behavior, sedative medications, and pharmacological anticipation, on simple visual and auditory reaction time were evaluated with a randomized block design.
  • (3) In addition, DDT blocked succinate dehydrogenase and the cytochrome b-c span of the electron transport chain, which also secondarily reduced ATP synthesis.
  • (4) Subsequently, the study of bundle branch block and A-V block cases revealed that no explicit correlation existed between histopathological changes and functional disturbances nor between disturbances in conduction (i.e.
  • (5) beta-Endorphin blocked the development of fighting responses when a low footshock intensity was used, but facilitated it when a high shock intensity was delivered.
  • (6) However, some contactless transactions are processed offline so may not appear on a customer’s account until after the block has been applied.” It says payments that had been made offline on the day of cancellation may be applied to accounts and would be refunded when the customer identified them; payments made on days after the cancellation will not be taken from an account.
  • (7) Complete heart block was produced in 20 of 20 dogs.
  • (8) A strong block to the elongation of nascent RNA transcripts by RNA polymerase II occurs in the 5' part of the mammalian c-fos proto-oncogene.
  • (9) In this case, actinomycin D does not block the reinduction of N-acetyltransferase by isoproterenol or by dibutyryl cyclic AMP.
  • (10) The latter result indicates that the dexamethasone block is upstream from release of esterified arachidonic acid.
  • (11) A triphasic pattern was evident for the neck moments including a small phase which represented a seating of the headform on the nodding blocks of the uppermost ATD neck segment, and two larger phases of opposite polarity which represented the motion of the head relative to the trunk during the first 350 ms after impact.
  • (12) I hope this movement will continue and spread for it has within itself the power to stand up to fascism, be victorious in the face of extremism and say no to oppressive political powers everywhere.” Appearing via videolink from Tehran, and joined by London mayor Sadiq Khan and Palme d’Or winner Mike Leigh, Farhadi said: “We are all citizens of the world and I will endeavour to protect and spread this unity.” The London screening of The Salesman on Sunday evening wasintended to be a show of unity and strength against Trump’s travel ban, which attempted to block arrivals in the US from seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.
  • (13) I felt a much stronger connection with the kids on my home block, who I rode bikes with nightly.
  • (14) It contains 10,000 apartments so far, in blocks that might appear Soviet but for shades of blue, green and yellow.
  • (15) We concluded that ketamine potentiates the Phase I and the Phase II neuromuscular blocks of succinylcholine.
  • (16) Biotin-avidin immunoperoxidase analysis for hCG was performed on all paraffin blocks containing carcinoma-in-situ, grade I, grade II, and grade III transitional cell carcinoma.
  • (17) Blocking the heparin-binding domains of fibronectin inhibited osteoblast attachment by 40-45%, which is complementary to inhibition results previously obtained with the RGDS tetrapeptide.
  • (18) The results indicated that smoke, as opposed to sham puffs, significantly reduced reports of cigarette craving, and local anesthesia significantly blocked this immediate reduction in craving produced by smoke inhalation.
  • (19) In a control study an inert stereoisomer, d-propranolol, did not block the ocular dominance shift.
  • (20) Blocks of hippocampal tissue containing the fascia dentata were taken from late embryonic and newborn rats and transplanted to the hippocampal region of other newborn and young adult rats.

Encumber


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To impede the motion or action of, as with a burden; to retard with something superfluous; to weigh down; to obstruct or embarrass; as, his movements were encumbered by his mantle; his mind is encumbered with useless learning.
  • (v. t.) To load with debts, or other legal claims; as, to encumber an estate with mortgages.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) While they may always be encumbered by censorship in a way that HBO is not, the success of darker storylines, antiheroes and the occasional snow zombie will not be lost in an entertainment industry desperate to maintain its share of the audience.
  • (2) Genetic analyses of DNA restriction and modification mechanisms have been encumbered by the inability to rigorously select for mutant phenotypes associated with these systems.
  • (3) John Pugh, a former Lib Dem health spokesman, said: "There is no compelling reason why the NHS in England should be encumbered with this level of bean counting … the NHS should be like other more efficient public services run on simple best-value principles.
  • (4) Rather than conditions of respect and regard, lesbians report atmospheres of intimidation and humiliation, which encumber their interactions with health care providers.
  • (5) The drag coefficient was high compared with that of phocid seals examined during gliding or towing experiments, indicating an increased drag encumbered by actively swimming seals.
  • (6) These burdens all add to the cost of trade and therefore encumber economic growth in developing countries.
  • (7) Fibroses occurred frequently as a result, which to date encumber nerve adhesive.
  • (8) Distal osteotomies are encumbered by nonunion problems.
  • (9) This encumbers research on the psychoanalytic process.
  • (10) Often children are not discovered by teachers who are overwhelmed by large classes or encumbered with a complicated curriculum.
  • (11) By contrast, comparison of the time necessary to gain accurate control over individual PTNs from contralateral cortex showed the epileptic monkeys to be significantly encumbered when compared to nonepileptic monkeys.
  • (12) One major reason is perhaps that the Australian Labor leader is chosen by the party's MPs and not by the more cumbersome but wider democratic process that Labour chose for itself nearly 30 years ago, thus encumbering itself with an institutional inertia factor that hugely benefits incumbents.
  • (13) Different Therapy of Bromisoval Poisoning and Primary Detoxication by Gastrotomy or Duodenotomy: Bromisoval poisoning is encumbered with a high complication rate and mortality.
  • (14) Like many US enterprises seeking to push drone technology, Amazon has been encumbered by regulations introduced by the FAA in an attempt to prevent unpiloted drone aircraft from endangering passenger planes and denting America’s unparalleled global reputation for air safety.
  • (15) Its application in a kinematic gait-analysis system is demonstrated, employing minimally encumbering electrogoniometry and foot-contact switches.
  • (16) The measurement of microdosimetric distributions for the purpose of estimating the quality factor, Q, may be encumbered in pulsed radiation fields--as produced, for instance, by accelerators with low duty cycle--because of a signal pile-up.
  • (17) Occupations tend to be more of a factor in white males, where occupational choice is least encumbered, than in black males or in females.
  • (18) The polar head group of DOPA, being more negatively charged and sterically less encumbered than diester phosphate ligands, most probably was responsible for this adherence of the lipid bilayers to the crystal surfaces.
  • (19) It is suggested that in sick premature infants, when the head is encumbered by various types of apparatus, this technique might prove more feasible than HC measurement.
  • (20) Traditional manual reporting systems are encumbered by the necessity of transcription of test information onto hard copy reports and then the subsequent distribution of such reports into the hands of the user.