block-book
/ˌblɑkˈbʊk/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.77 in modern English
23
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To book (“reserve in advance”) a large number of (hotel rooms, tickets, or other items) at one time.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "We’ve block-booked three rows of seats at the theatre."
- "[I]f block booking were truly efficient, some paying patients would choose to patronize doctors who block booked, putting up with extra long waits to save a little money (i.e., choosing to pay $30 for a block-booked visit rather than $35 for care by appointment). The fact that doctors cannot attract patients by block booking demonstrates that the extra patient waiting time is more valuable than the small $5 savings in the doctor's time."
- "The sixteen artists and artisans who were building the mural under Valis's direction did not live on site. They were block-booked for six months at the Vineyard Hills Inn."
- "Studio time is very expensive and furthermore setting up of a studio with all of the necessary programme specific sets and lighting is time consuming. Therefore, VYP often block-books a studio for several days at a time, or even for 2 weeks at a time."
- "He adds that NR was constantly frustrated by its inability to get access to the Melton track. "NR seems to struggle in terms of managing its customer base – Bombardier and Alstom block-book the place."
Etymology
From block (“apportionment or grouping of like things treated together as a unit”, noun) + book (verb), a back-formation from block booking.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌblɑkˈbʊk/
- British English: /ˌblɒkˈbʊk/