block vs sweep

block

noun
  • A shot played by holding the bat vertically in the path of the ball, so that it loses momentum and drops to the ground. 

  • A temporary or permanent ban that prevents access to an online account or service, or connection to or from a designated telephone number, IP address, or similar. 

  • A wig block: a simplified head model upon which wigs are worn. 

  • A case or frame housing one or more sheaves (pulleys), used with ropes to increase or redirect force, for example as part of lifting gear or a sailing ship's rigging. See also block and tackle. 

  • A cellblock. 

  • The popping crease. 

  • A logical extent or region; a grouping or apportionment of like things treated together as a unit. 

  • A fixed-length group of bits making up part of a message. 

  • A logical data storage unit containing one or more physical sectors (see cluster). 

  • Solitary confinement. 

  • A section of split logs used as fuel. 

  • A blockhole. 

  • A portion of a macromolecule, comprising many units, that has at least one feature not present in adjacent portions. 

  • Something that prevents something from passing. 

  • A physical area or extent of something, often rectangular or approximately rectangular. 

  • A joined group of four (or in some cases nine) postage stamps, forming a roughly square shape. 

  • An action to interfere with the movement of an opposing player or of the object of play (ball, puck). 

  • A contiguous range of Unicode code points used to encode characters of a specific type; can be of any size evenly divisible by 16, up to 65,536 (a full plane). 

  • The perch on which a bird of prey is kept. 

  • A defensive play by one or more players meant to deflect a spiked ball back to the hitter’s court. 

  • A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance. 

  • A mould on which hats, bonnets, etc., are shaped. 

  • A region of code in a program that acts as a single unit, such as a function or loop. 

  • A contiguous group of urban lots of property, typically several acres in extent, not crossed by public streets. 

  • The position of a player or bat when guarding the wicket. 

  • A chopping block: a cuboid base for cutting or beheading. 

  • The distance from one street to another in a city or suburb that is built (approximately) to a grid pattern. 

  • The human head. 

  • A discrete group of vines in a vineyard, often distinguished from others by variety, clone, canopy training method, irrigation infrastructure, or some combination thereof. 

  • Interference or obstruction of cognitive processes. 

  • A set of sheets (of paper) joined together at one end, forming a cuboid shape. 

  • A roughly cuboid building. 

  • A section of a railroad where the block system is used. 

verb
  • To hit with a block. 

  • To wait for some condition to become true. 

  • To specify the positions and movements of the actors for (a section of a play or film). 

  • To prevent (something or someone) from passing. 

  • To bar (someone undesirable) from connecting via telephone, instant messaging, etc., or from accessing an online account or service, or similar. 

  • To play a block shot. 

  • To stretch or mould (a knitted item, a hat, etc.) into the desired shape. 

  • To shape or sketch out roughly. 

  • To fill or obstruct (something) so that it is not possible to pass. 

  • To impede (an opponent or opponent's play). 

  • To prevent (something from happening or someone from doing something). 

  • To bar (a message or communication), or bar connection with (an online account or service, a designated telephone number, IP address, etc.). 

sweep

noun
  • A batsman's shot, played from a kneeling position with a swinging horizontal bat. 

  • Any of several sea chubs in the family Kyphosidae (subfamily Scorpidinae). 

  • The compass of any turning body or of any motion. 

  • Violent and general destruction. 

  • The degree to which an aircraft's wings are angled backwards (or, occasionally, forwards) from their attachments to the fuselage. 

  • A flow of water parallel to shore caused by wave action at an ocean beach or at a point or headland. 

  • A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water. 

  • A lottery, usually on the results of a sporting event, where players win if their randomly chosen team wins. 

  • A person who stands at the stern of a surf boat, steering with a steering oar and commanding the crew. 

  • A single action of sweeping. 

  • The person who steers a dragon boat. 

  • A methodical search, typically for bugs (electronic listening devices). 

  • Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, etc. away from a rectilinear line. 

  • A rowing style in which each rower rows with oar on either the port or starboard side. 

  • An expanse or a swath, a strip of land. 

  • In the game casino, the act of capturing all face-up cards from the table. 

  • A movable template for making moulds, in loam moulding. 

  • Any of the blades of a windmill. 

  • A chimney sweep. 

  • The sweepings of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc. 

  • A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel them and partly to steer them. 

  • A throw or takedown that primarily uses the legs to attack an opponent's legs. 

verb
  • To clear (a body of water or part thereof) of mines. 

  • To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series. 

  • To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion. 

  • To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom. 

  • To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side. 

  • To strike with a long stroke. 

  • To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation. 

  • To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke. 

  • To travel quickly. 

  • To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series. 

  • To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush. 

  • To remove something abruptly and thoroughly. 

  • To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less. 

  • To search (a place) methodically. 

  • To draw or drag something over. 

  • To play a sweep shot. 

  • To vacuum a carpet or rug. 

  • To brush against or over; to rub lightly along. 

How often have the words block and sweep occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )