butcher block
3
4.3
- noun
- /ˈbʊtʃər blɑk/
- US
:
tabla de cortar
- Her new kitchen features a beautiful butcher block island that is perfect for meal prep.
- butcher block island
- butcher block table
- butcher block countertop
Examples
-
The chef chopped vegetables on the butcher block, ensuring a clean and sturdy surface for food preparation.
-
A set of knives in a butcher-block holder sat on the counter.
Fiction book (1995) -
Eight whole fish had been placed belly up on the butcher block table.
Fiction book (1997) -
To the left of the front door was a kitchen with a butcher-block island.
Fiction book (2000) -
A large butcher block table, scarred and darkened from years of use, dominated the kitchen.
Fiction book (1995) -
Herb stands beside a butcher block, cutting vegetables for the evening meal with a practiced hand.
Fiction book (1992) -
The restaurateur pointed to a genuine butcher-block table in a corner of the bustling kitchen.
Fiction book (2002) -
Clare loved her expansive kitchen with its double ovens and large butcher-block island.
Fiction book (2002) -
Mickey's mom pours herself a glass of low-fat milk and stands at the kitchen butcher block, taking thoughtful sips.
Fiction book (1990) -
It's an orderly arrangement of stainless steel, ceramic tile, overhead pot racks, and butcher-block islands.
Fiction book (2000)
Synonyms
12
1.5
A flat board used to cut food like meat or vegetables
1
2.6
A thick wooden block used to cut food or chop wood
Thick board made by joining strips of strong wood for use as a cutting surface
How Durable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a thick slab used for cutting' is directly and literally composed from 'butcher' (meat cutter) + 'block' (solid slab) — essentially a block used by a butcher for cutting. This straightforward compound follows common noun-composition patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Butcher block comes from the heavy wooden block that old butchers used to chop meat on; butcher names who used it and block is the thick piece of wood. So today butcher block means a 'thick slab of hardwood' used for cutting and preparing food.