Don’t pour liquid fat down the sink as it clogs up the drains when it sets.
dam
Beavers dam streams with logs to create a pool which will not freeze solid in winter.
obstruct
Uncle Pete tried to obstruct the door as I went through, but I ducked under his arm!
block (2) VERB
If someone tries to block something, they try to stop it happening.
hinder
Our dog, Jim, hinders Mum by attacking the vacuum cleaner.
impede
The walkers’ progress was impeded by an angry goat on the path.
obstruct
The protesters were arrested for obstructing the police.
prevent
Residents prevented a nightclub from being built near their houses.
thwart
The wicked baron was thwarted in his evil plans by a quick-thinking boy.
block (3) NOUN
A block is something put across a road or channel so that nothing can get through.
barrier
For the parade, barriers were erected to keep the crowds back.
blockage
“There’s a blockage in the drain under the sink,” the plumber said.
obstacle
Alpa had to overcome many obstacles on his road to success.
obstruction
If you swallow chewing gum, it may cause an obstruction in your stomach.
block (4) NOUN
A block is a large, rectangular, three-dimensional piece of something.
bar
The robbers put the gold bars in the back of the getaway van.
chunk
A chunk of metal fell off the back of the truck as it left the scrap yard.
lump
With the help of a wheel, the potter formed the shapeless lump of clay into a vase.
blue ADJECTIVE
If something is blue, it has the colour of the sky on a sunny day.
Shades of blue:
aquamarine
azure
indigo
navy
sky blue
turquoise
boast VERB
If you boast, you talk proudly about what you have or what you can do.
brag
Alison couldn’t resist bragging about her new DVD player.
blow your own trumpet
I prefer modest people to those who blow their own trumpet.