Definition

Noun: 1. A block of wood with a design carved into its surface, used for printing: A "wood block" is a piece of wood, typically the end grain of a hard wood like boxwood or cherry, into which an image or design has been carved. The raised, uncarved areas are inked, and the block is pressed onto paper or fabric to create a print. This is a traditional technique for printmaking and textile design.

Examples of Usage

• The artist carefully carved the intricate pattern into the wood block.
• Early books were often illustrated using prints made from wood blocks.
• She inked the wood block and pressed it onto the paper to create a series of identical images.

Advanced Usage

• "Wood-block printing": The technique or process of printing using a wood block.
  • Wood-block printing was a major method for producing images and texts in East Asia for centuries.

Variants and Related Words

• Woodcut (n): Often used synonymously with "wood block," though technically a "woodcut" can refer to both the block itself and the print made from it.
  • The gallery displayed a collection of 16th-century woodcuts.
• Block print (n): A general term for a print made from a carved block, which can be made of wood, linoleum, or other materials.
  • The fabric featured a beautiful floral block print.

Synonyms

• Printing block
• Wood engraving (specifically when the design is carved into the end grain of the wood)

Related Phrases

• To cut a block: To carve a design into a wood block.
  • It took him a month to cut the block for this complex scene.

Noun

1. engraving consisting of a block of wood with a design cut into it; used to make prints