cinder block
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A rectangular building block made from concrete and coal cinders (a type of aggregate). It is a lightweight, hollow-core block used primarily in construction for walls and foundations.
Usage
- As a subject: "The cinder block was too heavy for one person to lift."
- As an object: "The builder stacked another cinder block on the wall."
- With a determiner: "We need to buy fifty more cinder blocks for the project."
Examples
- "The garden shed was built using cinder blocks and a wooden roof."
- "They used cinder blocks as inexpensive shelves in the garage."
- "The foundation of the house is made of cinder block."
Advanced Usage
- Regional Variation: In British English, this item is commonly called a "breeze block".
- Material Specification: The term specifies the use of cinder (burned coal residue) as the aggregate, distinguishing it from blocks made with other materials like clay (brick) or heavier stone aggregates.
Variants and Related Words
- Breeze block (noun): The British English term for a cinder block.
- Concrete block (noun): A more general term that includes cinder blocks and blocks made with other aggregates.
- CMU (noun): Abbreviation for "Concrete Masonry Unit," the technical industry term.
Synonyms
- Concrete block
- Breeze block (UK)
Related Phrases/Compounds
- Cinder block wall: A wall constructed from cinder blocks.
- Example: "They built a cinder block wall around the property for privacy."
Noun
- a light concrete building block made with cinder aggregate
- cinder blocks are called breeze blocks in Britain