pulley block
- noun
- /ˈpʌli blɑk/
- Specialized
:
bloque de polea
- The workers used a pulley block to lift the heavy beams onto the roof.
Examples
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Sailboats often have more than one pulley block to help manage the rigging.
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He explained how a pulley block reduces the effort needed to raise a load.
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The pulley block helped lift the heavy load.
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We need a pulley block to complete the setup.
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He explained how a pulley block changes the direction of force to make lifting easier.
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The construction team used a pulley block to hoist materials up to the upper floors.
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Sailboats rely on a pulley block system to efficiently adjust their sails.
Synonyms
23
3.4
A wheel with a groove that a rope moves on to lift things or change the direction of a pull
15
6.8
A wheel with a groove that a rope runs through
A wheel with a groove that a rope runs in to lift things or change the rope's direction
A pulley that opens so you can place a rope inside without passing the end through
A small wheel used with a rope to help raise sails at the top of a ship's mast
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents are concrete and their combination yields a directly compositional meaning: a block (hardware piece) that contains or functions as a pulley. A B1 learner who knows 'pulley' and 'block' can readily infer a device made of a pulley wheel guiding a rope, so the term is transparent.
Etymology
Pulley block comes from a simple image: a wheel for a rope (pulley) set inside a wooden block that sailors and builders used to guide ropes. So, the name describes the device we use today: a rope wheel in a wooden case that changes the rope's direction and makes lifting heavy things easier.