breeze block
Noun: A breeze block is a type of lightweight, rectangular building block. It is made from concrete that uses cinder (a byproduct of burning coal) as its primary aggregate, which creates a block with a porous, often grayish appearance. It is a common term used in British English.
Breeze blocks are primarily used in construction for building walls, partitions, and sometimes for decorative purposes in gardens. They are valued for being lighter and providing better insulation than dense concrete blocks, but are generally not used for load-bearing structures.
- The garden wall was constructed from breeze blocks and later rendered with cement.
- For the interior partition, the builder suggested using breeze blocks.
- The shed's foundation was made of breeze blocks.
- As a modifier: The term can be used attributively to describe other related nouns.
- Example: We need to calculate the breeze block cost for the entire project.
- Cinder block (noun): The standard term for the same building block in American English.
- Concrete block (noun): A more general term that can include both dense and lightweight blocks like breeze blocks.
- Cinder block (US English)
- Concrete masonry unit (CMU) (technical/general term)
- Building block
The term "breeze block" has only this specific meaning in construction. It is not related to weather ("breeze") or obstruction ("block") in this context. The name originates from the use of "breeze," an old term for cinders or ash.
- a light concrete building block made with cinder aggregate
- cinder blocks are called breeze blocks in Britain