| yardstick | | |
| n. (communication) | 1. yardstick | a measure or standard used for comparison.; "on what kind of yardstick is he basing his judgment?" |
| ~ criterion, standard, touchstone, measure | a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated.; "the schools comply with federal standards"; "they set the measure for all subsequent work" |
| n. (artifact) | 2. yard measure, yardstick | a ruler or tape that is three feet long. |
| ~ ruler, rule | measuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths. |
| staff | | |
| n. (group) | 1. staff | personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task.; "the hospital has an excellent nursing staff"; "the general relied on his staff to make routine decisions" |
| ~ newsroom | the staff of a newspaper or the news department of a periodical.; "every newspaper editor is criticized by the newsroom" |
| ~ personnel, force | group of people willing to obey orders.; "a public force is necessary to give security to the rights of citizens" |
| ~ office staff, office | professional or clerical workers in an office.; "the whole office was late the morning of the blizzard" |
| ~ research staff | a group of associated research workers in a university or library or laboratory. |
| ~ sales staff | those in a business who are responsible for sales. |
| ~ security staff | those in an organization responsible for preventing spying or theft. |
| ~ maintenance staff, service staff | those in a business responsible for maintaining the physical plant. |
| ~ general staff | military officers assigned to assist a senior officer in planning military policy. |
| ~ headquarters staff | military staff stationed at headquarters. |
| ~ staff member, staffer | an employee who is a member of a staff of workers (especially a member of the staff that works for the President of the United States). |
| n. (artifact) | 2. staff | a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose.; "he walked with the help of a wooden staff" |
| ~ alpenstock | a stout staff with a metal point; used by mountain climbers. |
| ~ baton | a short staff carried by some officials to symbolize an office or an authority. |
| ~ shepherd's crook, crook | a long staff with one end being hook shaped. |
| ~ crutch | a wooden or metal staff that fits under the armpit and reaches to the ground; used by disabled person while walking. |
| ~ distaff | the staff on which wool or flax is wound before spinning. |
| ~ flagpole, flagstaff | a tall staff or pole on which a flag is raised. |
| ~ pikestaff | the staff of a pike. |
| ~ quarterstaff | a long stout staff used as a weapon. |
| ~ stick | an implement consisting of a length of wood.; "he collected dry sticks for a campfire"; "the kid had a candied apple on a stick" |
| n. (group) | 3. faculty, staff | the body of teachers and administrators at a school.; "the dean addressed the letter to the entire staff of the university" |
| ~ body | a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity.; "the whole body filed out of the auditorium"; "the student body"; "administrative body" |
| ~ school | an educational institution.; "the school was founded in 1900" |
| ~ prof, professor | someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university. |
| n. (substance) | 4. staff | building material consisting of plaster and hair; used to cover external surfaces of temporary structure (as at an exposition) or for decoration. |
| ~ building material | material used for constructing buildings. |
| n. (communication) | 5. staff | a rod carried as a symbol. |
| ~ symbol | an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance. |
| ~ crosier, crozier | a staff surmounted by a crook or cross carried by bishops as a symbol of pastoral office. |
| ~ mace | a ceremonial staff carried as a symbol of office or authority. |
| ~ scepter, sceptre, verge, wand | a ceremonial or emblematic staff. |
| ~ tipstaff | staff with a metal tip carried as a sign of office by e.g. a bailiff or constable. |
| n. (communication) | 6. staff, stave | (music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written. |
| ~ musical notation | (music) notation used by musicians. |
| ~ staff line | any of the 5 horizontal marks comprising a staff. |
| ~ space | one of the areas between or below or above the lines of a musical staff.; "the spaces are the notes F-A-C-E" |
| ~ music | an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner. |
| v. (competition) | 7. staff | provide with staff.; "This position is not always staffed" |
| ~ man | provide with workers.; "We cannot man all the desks"; "Students were manning the booths" |
| ~ cater, ply, provide, supply | give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance.; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests" |
| v. (competition) | 8. staff | serve on the staff of.; "The two men staff the reception desk" |
| ~ serve | do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function.; "He served as head of the department for three years"; "She served in Congress for two terms" |
| back up | | |
| v. (social) | 1. back up, support | give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to.; "She supported him during the illness"; "Her children always backed her up" |
| ~ sponsor | assume responsibility for or leadership of.; "The senator announced that he would sponsor the health care plan" |
| ~ buy at, frequent, patronise, shop at, patronize, shop, sponsor | do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of. |
| ~ aid, assist, help | give help or assistance; be of service.; "Everyone helped out during the earthquake"; "Can you help me carry this table?"; "She never helps around the house" |
| ~ encourage, promote, further, boost, advance | contribute to the progress or growth of.; "I am promoting the use of computers in the classroom" |
| ~ undergird | lend moral support to. |
| ~ second, endorse, indorse, back | give support or one's approval to.; "I'll second that motion"; "I can't back this plan"; "endorse a new project" |
| v. (motion) | 2. back down, back off, back up | move backwards from a certain position.; "The bully had to back down" |
| ~ draw back, move back, pull away, pull back, recede, retreat, withdraw, retire | pull back or move away or backward.; "The enemy withdrew"; "The limo pulled away from the curb" |
| v. (change) | 3. back, back up | establish as valid or genuine.; "Can you back up your claims?" |
| ~ affirm, confirm, corroborate, substantiate, support, sustain | establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts.; "his story confirmed my doubts"; "The evidence supports the defendant" |
| v. (creation) | 4. back up | make a copy of (a computer file) especially for storage in another place as a security copy.; "You'd better back up these files!" |
| ~ computer, computing device, computing machine, data processor, electronic computer, information processing system | a machine for performing calculations automatically. |
| ~ re-create, copy | make a replica of.; "copy that drawing"; "re-create a picture by Rembrandt" |
| v. (contact) | 5. back up, choke, choke off, clog, clog up, congest, foul | become or cause to become obstructed.; "The leaves clog our drains in the Fall"; "The water pipe is backed up" |
| ~ gum up | stick together as if with gum.; "the inside of the pipe has gummed up" |
| ~ obturate, occlude, close up, impede, obstruct, jam, block | block passage through.; "obstruct the path" |
| ~ crap up | become obstructed or chocked up.; "The drains clogged up" |
| ~ choke up, lug, stuff, block | obstruct.; "My nose is all stuffed"; "Her arteries are blocked" |
| ~ silt, silt up | become chocked with silt.; "The river silted up" |
| block | | |
| n. (artifact) | 1. block | a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides).; "the pyramids were built with large stone blocks" |
| ~ artefact, artifact | a man-made object taken as a whole. |
| ~ anvil | a heavy block of iron or steel on which hot metals are shaped by hammering. |
| ~ briquet, briquette | a block made from charcoal or coal dust and burned as fuel. |
| ~ cake, bar | a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax).; "a bar of chocolate" |
| ~ chock, wedge | a block of wood used to prevent the sliding or rolling of a heavy object. |
| ~ chopping block | a steady wooden block on which food can be cut or diced or wood can be split. |
| ~ crosshead | metal block that connects to a piston; it slides on parallel guides and moves a connecting rod back and forth. |
| ~ square block, cube | a block in the (approximate) shape of a cube. |
| ~ domino | a small rectangular block used in playing the game of dominoes; the face of each block has two equal areas that can bear 0 to 6 dots. |
| ~ block of metal, ingot, metal bar | metal that is cast in the shape of a block for convenient handling. |
| ~ nog | a wooden block built into a masonry wall so that joinery structure can be nailed to it. |
| ~ nut | a small (usually square or hexagonal) metal block with internal screw thread to be fitted onto a bolt. |
| ~ inking pad, inkpad, stamp pad, pad | a block of absorbent material saturated with ink; used to transfer ink evenly to a rubber stamp. |
| ~ slab | block consisting of a thick piece of something. |
| ~ starting block | block providing bracing for a runner's feet at start of a race. |
| ~ step | a solid block joined to the beams in which the heel of a ship's mast or capstan is fixed. |
| ~ swage block | an iron block cut with holes and grooves to assist in cold working metal. |
| ~ type | a small metal block bearing a raised character on one end; produces a printed character when inked and pressed on paper.; "he dropped a case of type, so they made him pick them up" |
| n. (location) | 2. block, city block | a rectangular area in a city surrounded by streets and usually containing several buildings.; "he lives in the next block" |
| ~ area, country | a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).; "it was a mountainous area"; "Bible country" |
| n. (shape) | 3. block, cube | a three-dimensional shape with six square or rectangular sides. |
| ~ goldbrick | a brick-shaped block that looks like gold but is not. |
| ~ solid | a three-dimensional shape. |
| n. (group) | 4. block | a number or quantity of related things dealt with as a unit.; "he reserved a large block of seats"; "he held a large block of the company's stock" |
| ~ aggregation, collection, accumulation, assemblage | several things grouped together or considered as a whole. |
| n. (artifact) | 5. block | housing in a large building that is divided into separate units.; "there is a block of classrooms in the west wing" |
| ~ cellblock, ward | a division of a prison (usually consisting of several cells). |
| ~ housing, living accommodations, lodging | structures collectively in which people are housed. |
| ~ hospital ward, ward | block forming a division of a hospital (or a suite of rooms) shared by patients who need a similar kind of care.; "they put her in a 4-bed ward" |
| n. (quantity) | 6. block | (computer science) a sector or group of sectors that function as the smallest data unit permitted.; "since blocks are often defined as a single sector, the terms `block' and `sector' are sometimes used interchangeably" |
| ~ computer science, computing | the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures. |
| ~ computer memory unit | a unit for measuring computer memory. |
| ~ sector | the minimum track length that can be assigned to store information; unless otherwise specified a sector of data consists of 512 bytes. |
| ~ bad block | (computer science) a block (usually one sector) that cannot reliably hold data. |
| n. (cognition) | 7. block, mental block | an inability to remember or think of something you normally can do; often caused by emotional tension.; "I knew his name perfectly well but I had a temporary block" |
| ~ inability | lack of ability (especially mental ability) to do something. |
| ~ writer's block | an inability to write.; "he had writer's block; the words wouldn't come" |
| n. (artifact) | 8. block, pulley, pulley block, pulley-block | a simple machine consisting of a wheel with a groove in which a rope can run to change the direction or point of application of a force applied to the rope. |
| ~ block and tackle | pulley blocks with associated rope or cable. |
| ~ bullock block, bollock | a pulley-block at the head of a topmast. |
| ~ fairlead | a pulley-block used to guide a rope forming part of a ship's rigging to avoid chafing. |
| ~ idle pulley, idle wheel, idler pulley | a pulley on a shaft that presses against a guide belt to guide or tighten it. |
| ~ simple machine, machine | a device for overcoming resistance at one point by applying force at some other point. |
| n. (artifact) | 9. block, cylinder block, engine block | a metal casting containing the cylinders and cooling ducts of an engine.; "the engine had to be replaced because the block was cracked" |
| ~ casting, cast | object formed by a mold. |
| ~ piston chamber, cylinder | a chamber within which piston moves. |
| ~ internal-combustion engine, ice | a heat engine in which combustion occurs inside the engine rather than in a separate furnace; heat expands a gas that either moves a piston or turns a gas turbine. |
| ~ reciprocating engine | an internal-combustion engine in which the crankshaft is turned by pistons moving up and down in cylinders. |
| n. (artifact) | 10. block, blockage, closure, occlusion, stop, stoppage | an obstruction in a pipe or tube.; "we had to call a plumber to clear out the blockage in the drainpipe" |
| ~ breech closer, breechblock | a metal block in breech-loading firearms that is withdrawn to insert a cartridge and replaced to close the breech before firing. |
| ~ impedimenta, obstruction, impediment, obstructer, obstructor | any structure that makes progress difficult. |
| ~ plug, stopple, stopper | blockage consisting of an object designed to fill a hole tightly. |
| ~ vapor lock, vapour lock | a stoppage in a pipeline caused by gas bubbles (especially a stoppage that develops in hot weather in an internal-combustion engine when fuel in the gas line boils and forms bubbles that block the flow of gasoline to the carburetor). |
| n. (artifact) | 11. auction block, block | a platform from which an auctioneer sells.; "they put their paintings on the block" |
| ~ platform | a raised horizontal surface.; "the speaker mounted the platform" |
| n. (act) | 12. block, blocking | the act of obstructing or deflecting someone's movements. |
| ~ obstruction | getting in someone's way. |
| ~ interference | (American football) blocking a player's path with your body.; "he ran interference for the quarterback" |
| ~ trap block | (American football) an illegal block. |
| ~ parry | (fencing) blocking a lunge or deflecting it with a circular motion of the sword. |
| v. (contact) | 13. bar, barricade, block, block off, block up, blockade, stop | render unsuitable for passage.; "block the way"; "barricade the streets"; "stop the busy road" |
| ~ obturate, occlude, close up, impede, obstruct, jam, block | block passage through.; "obstruct the path" |
| ~ block off, close off, shut off | block off the passage through.; "We shut off the valve" |
| ~ close | bar access to.; "Due to the accident, the road had to be closed for several hours" |
| ~ obstruct, block | shut out from view or get in the way so as to hide from sight.; "The thick curtain blocked the action on the stage"; "The trees obstruct my view of the mountains" |
| v. (social) | 14. block, blockade, embarrass, hinder, obstruct, stymie, stymy | hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of.; "His brother blocked him at every turn" |
| ~ stonewall | obstruct or hinder any discussion.; "Nixon stonewalled the Watergate investigation"; "When she doesn't like to face a problem, she simply stonewalls" |
| ~ foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent, forbid | keep from happening or arising; make impossible.; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project" |
| ~ filibuster | obstruct deliberately by delaying. |
| ~ check | block or impede (a player from the opposing team) in ice hockey. |
| ~ hang | prevent from reaching a verdict, of a jury. |
| ~ bottleneck | slow down or impede by creating an obstruction.; "His laziness has bottlenecked our efforts to reform the system" |
| v. (social) | 15. block, halt, kibosh, stop | stop from happening or developing.; "Block his election"; "Halt the process" |
| ~ embargo | prevent commerce.; "The U.S. embargoes Libya" |
| ~ foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent, forbid | keep from happening or arising; make impossible.; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project" |
| ~ stay | stop a judicial process.; "The judge stayed the execution order" |
| v. (communication) | 16. block, jam | interfere with or prevent the reception of signals.; "Jam the Voice of America"; "block the signals emitted by this station" |
| ~ cut off, disrupt, interrupt, break up | make a break in.; "We interrupt the program for the following messages" |
| ~ barrage jam | jam an entire frequency spectrum.; "During the Cold War, the Soviets routinely barrage jammed to interfere with transmissions from the West" |
| ~ point jam | jam a narrow band of frequencies.; "We can counter point-jamming effectively" |
| ~ spot jam | jam a single frequency.; "This operator is spot-jammed" |
| ~ blanket jam | jam a broad spectrum of frequencies to affect all communications in the area except for directional antenna communications. |
| v. (social) | 17. block | run on a block system.; "block trains" |
| ~ operate, run | direct or control; projects, businesses, etc..; "She is running a relief operation in the Sudan" |
| v. (perception) | 18. block | interrupt the normal function of by means of anesthesia.; "block a nerve"; "block a muscle" |
| ~ anaesthetise, anaesthetize, anesthetise, anesthetize, put under, put out | administer an anesthetic drug to.; "The patient must be anesthetized before the operation"; "anesthetize the gum before extracting the teeth" |
| v. (perception) | 19. block, obstruct | shut out from view or get in the way so as to hide from sight.; "The thick curtain blocked the action on the stage"; "The trees obstruct my view of the mountains" |
| ~ barricade, block, block up, bar, block off, blockade, stop | render unsuitable for passage.; "block the way"; "barricade the streets"; "stop the busy road" |
| ~ conceal, hide | prevent from being seen or discovered.; "Muslim women hide their faces"; "hide the money" |
| v. (contact) | 20. block | stamp or emboss a title or design on a book with a block.; "block the book cover" |
| ~ boss, emboss, stamp | raise in a relief.; "embossed stationery" |
| v. (contact) | 21. block, choke up, lug, stuff | obstruct.; "My nose is all stuffed"; "Her arteries are blocked" |
| ~ clog, clog up, congest, choke off, foul, back up, choke | become or cause to become obstructed.; "The leaves clog our drains in the Fall"; "The water pipe is backed up" |
| v. (contact) | 22. block, close up, impede, jam, obstruct, obturate, occlude | block passage through.; "obstruct the path" |
| ~ block off, blockade | obstruct access to. |
| ~ barricado, barricade | block off with barricades. |
| ~ barricade | prevent access to by barricading.; "The street where the President lives is always barricaded" |
| ~ asphyxiate, suffocate, stifle, choke | impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of.; "The foul air was slowly suffocating the children" |
| ~ tie up | restrain from moving or operating normally.; "Traffic is tied up for miles around the bridge where the accident occurred" |
| ~ dam, dam up | obstruct with, or as if with, a dam.; "dam the gorges of the Yangtse River" |
| ~ block out, screen | prevent from entering.; "block out the strong sunlight" |
| ~ earth up, land up | block with earth, as after a landslide. |
| ~ barricade, block, block up, bar, block off, blockade, stop | render unsuitable for passage.; "block the way"; "barricade the streets"; "stop the busy road" |
| ~ clog, clog up, congest, choke off, foul, back up, choke | become or cause to become obstructed.; "The leaves clog our drains in the Fall"; "The water pipe is backed up" |
| ~ hinder, impede | be a hindrance or obstacle to.; "She is impeding the progress of our project" |
| v. (contact) | 23. block | support, secure, or raise with a block.; "block a plate for printing"; "block the wheels of a car" |
| ~ hold up, support, sustain, hold | be the physical support of; carry the weight of.; "The beam holds up the roof"; "He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam"; "What's holding that mirror?" |
| v. (competition) | 24. block, deflect, parry | impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball).; "block an attack" |
| ~ fence | fight with fencing swords. |
| v. (cognition) | 25. blank out, block, draw a blank, forget | be unable to remember.; "I'm drawing a blank"; "You are blocking the name of your first wife!" |
| ~ slip one's mind, slip | pass out of one's memory. |
| v. (change) | 26. block | shape by using a block.; "Block a hat"; "block a garment" |
| ~ shape, form | give shape or form to.; "shape the dough"; "form the young child's character" |
| v. (change) | 27. block | shape into a block or blocks.; "block the graphs so one can see the results clearly" |
| ~ shape, form | give shape or form to.; "shape the dough"; "form the young child's character" |
| v. (change) | 28. block, freeze, immobilise, immobilize | prohibit the conversion or use of (assets).; "Blocked funds"; "Freeze the assets of this hostile government" |
| ~ withhold, keep back | hold back; refuse to hand over or share.; "The father is withholding the allowance until the son cleans his room" |
| clog | | |
| n. (artifact) | 1. clog, geta, patten, sabot | footwear usually with wooden soles. |
| ~ footgear, footwear | covering for a person's feet. |
| n. (artifact) | 2. clog | any object that acts as a hindrance or obstruction. |
| ~ hinderance, hindrance, preventative, preventive, encumbrance, incumbrance, interference, hitch | any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome. |
| n. (act) | 3. clog, clog dance, clog dancing | a dance performed while wearing shoes with wooden soles; has heavy stamping steps. |
| ~ tap dance, tap dancing | a dance step tapped out audibly with the feet. |
| v. (creation) | 4. clog | dance a clog dance. |
| ~ dancing, terpsichore, dance, saltation | taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music. |
| ~ trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe, dance | move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance.; "My husband and I like to dance at home to the radio" |
| v. (contact) | 5. clog | impede the motion of, as with a chain or a burden.; "horses were clogged until they were tamed" |
| ~ constrain, cumber, encumber, restrain | hold back. |
| v. (change) | 6. clog, constipate | impede with a clog or as if with a clog.; "The market is being clogged by these operations"; "My mind is constipated today" |
| ~ slow up, slow, slow down | cause to proceed more slowly.; "The illness slowed him down" |
| v. (change) | 7. clog, clot | coalesce or unite in a mass.; "Blood clots" |
| ~ coalesce | fuse or cause to grow together. |
| v. (change) | 8. clog, overload | fill to excess so that function is impaired.; "Fear clogged her mind"; "The story was clogged with too many details" |
| ~ fill, fill up, make full | make full, also in a metaphorical sense.; "fill a container"; "fill the child with pride" |
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