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A small bronze mortar mounted on a wooden block with handles, and light enough to be carried short distances by two men.

In a constructive manner; by construction or inference. A neutral must have notice of a blockade, either actually by a formal information, or constructively by notice to his government. Kent.

W. Irving. Continental Congress. See under Congress. -- Continental system (Hist.), the blockade of Great Britain ordered by Napoleon by the decree of Berlin, Nov. 21, 1806; the object being to strike a blow at the maritime and commercial supremacy of Great Britain, by cutting her off from all intercourse with the co…

The system of commercial blockade aiming to exclude England from commerce with the Continent instituted by the Berlin decree, which Napoleon I. issued from Berlin Nov. 21, 1806, declaring the British Isles to be in a state of blockade, and British subjects, property, and merchandise subject to capture, and excluding Br…

An iron block, usually bolted to a ship's deck, for controlling the running out of a chain cable. The links of the cable tend to drop into hollows in the block, and thus hold fast until disengaged.

Having a high crown, or a point or peak at top. [Obs.] A copatain hat made on a Flemish block. Gascoigne.

A device, usually of iron bent at the ends, used to hold together blocks of stone, timbers, etc.; a cramp iron.

clutch formed of hooked pieces of iron, like double calipers, for raising stones, lumber, blocks of ice, etc.

A beam or bar across the head or end of a rod, etc., or a block attached to it and carrying a knuckle pin; as the solid crosspiece running between parallel slides, which receives motion from the piston of a steam engine and imparts it to the connecting rod, which is hinged to the crosshead.

A number of small cords rove through a long block, or euphroe, to suspend an awning by.

oss, too, by degrees, become the crucifix. Milman. And kissing oft her crucifix, Unto the block she drew. Warner.

The cracklling noise made by block tin when it is bent back and forth. A far cry, a long distance; -- in allusion to the sending of criers or messengers through the territory of a Scottish clan with an announcement or summons.

Hence: A blockhead; a lout. Hood.

An engraved block or plate; the impression from such an engraving; as, a book illustrated with fine cuts.

A stupid, blockish fellow; a numskull. [Obs.] Chaucer.

.), an angle or space which can not be seen or defended from behind the parapet. -- Dead block, either of two wooden or iron blocks intended to serve instead of buffers at the end of a freight car. -- Dead calm (Naut.), no wind at all. -- Dead center, or Dead point (Mach.), either of two points in the orbit of a cra…

A round, flattish, wooden block, encircled by a rope, or an iron band, and pierced with three holes to receive the lanyard; -- used to extend the shrouds and stays, and for other purposes. Called also deadman's eye. Totten.

h or flood of waters which breaks down opposing barriers, and hurls forward and disperses blocks of stone and other débris.

An accidental blowing off of, or other serious damage to, the breechblock of a gun; also, a removal of the breechblock for the purpose of disabling the gun.

A small square block or projection in cornices, a number of which are ranged in an ornamental band; -- used particularly in the Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite orders.