block capital
- noun
- /blɑk ˈkæpɪtl/
:
letra mayúscula
- The message was visible, typed in block capitals, and short.
- write in block capitals
Examples
-
It says, in crude block capitals, THIS IS YOUR ROOM.
Fiction book (2001) -
That's going to be a lost skill except in block capital, right?
-
Black magic marker, block capitals: Do NOT TURN ON TV.
Fiction book (1999) -
Underneath, in block capitals, is written: SATAN CLAUS.
Fiction book (1991) -
It had his name on it in untidy block capitals, again in violet.
Fiction book (1994) -
The instructions were clearly written in block capitals to ensure everyone could read them.
-
I filled out the application form using block capitals for clarity.
-
On the sign, the important information was displayed in block capitals to attract attention.
Synonyms
4
2.2
A large letter used at the start of names or sentences
4
1.0
A large letter that you use at the start of a sentence or name
3
3.0
A single capital letter written clearly and not joined to other letters
Surface Forms
Morphology
block + capital
The element 'capital' clearly signals 'uppercase', so part of the meaning is directly recoverable. However, 'block' here has a specialized adjectival sense meaning 'plain, separate/unjoined letters' which is not an obvious extension of the common senses of 'block' (a solid piece or to obstruct) for many B1 learners, so the full sense is only partly predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The term block capital comes from the idea of writing letters as solid blocks and using capital to mean big, separate letters. People wrote like this on forms and signs, so today it means 'capital letters written separately for clarity'.