Bloc
/blɒk/noun
A group of countries, parties, or people acting together for a common purpose.
Did you know?In English, bloc was borrowed in the 19th century from French political language, where it meant a solid mass or group acting as one—perfect for the kind of coordinated power that can shift history.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhel-
“to swell, blow up, or grow thick”
Old English
English
blæc / bloc?
“Not the source of modern bloc; English already had native words like block and bulk from Germanic roots”
Middle French
French
bloc
“a lump, mass, or solid block”
19th Century
French
bloc
“a political or military group acting together as one mass”
19th Century
English
bloc
“a coalition or alliance of parties, states, or groups”