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Glite Dictionary
line block

line block

9.5
A piece of wood or metal cut to print pictures made mostly of lines
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : bloque de línea
  • Early comic strips were often printed using a line block to capture the fine ink lines.

Examples

  • The printer made several copies from the original line block created by the artist.

  • A line block can produce sharp, detailed illustrations for books and magazines.

  • The line block was used in an exhibition last year.

  • I have two line blocks ready for the project.

  • A line block can produce sharp, detailed illustrations for books and magazines.

  • Early comic strips were often printed using a line block to capture the fine ink lines.

  • The printer made several copies from the original line block created by the artist.

Synonyms

engraving
vsline block
25 4.1

A picture made by cutting or etching a hard surface

is a carved printing surface used to produce images made mainly from lines
line engraving
vsline block
  • Specialized
7.6

A picture made by cutting lines into metal and then printing it

is a carved printing surface used to produce images made mainly from lines

Surface Forms

line block singular
line blocks plural

Morphology

line + block

The noun-noun compound is directly compositional: 'line' describes the kind of 'block' (a block whose design consists mainly of lines or used for printing line art). Even if the term is technical, a B1 learner who knows 'line' and 'block' can reasonably infer this meaning from the constituents and the common modifier+head pattern.

Etymology

Line block comes from old printing: it was a block of wood or metal carved with thin lines that were inked and pressed onto paper. Because the picture was made of lines, a line block gave sharp, detailed images, and so the term means 'a printing block used for pictures made of lines'.