Illustration of blockhouse
- blockhouse 1a
blockhouse
noun
block·house
ˈbläk-ˌhau̇s 
1
a
: a structure of heavy timbers formerly used for military defense with sides loopholed and pierced for gunfire and often with a projecting upper story
b
: a small easily defended building for protection from enemy fire
2
: a building usually of reinforced concrete serving as an observation point for an operation likely to be accompanied by heat, blast, or radiation hazard
Examples of blockhouse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The kitchen had two notable features—a big cast-iron woodstove on which everything was cooked, and a dishwasher that stood up like a blockhouse, designed to receive trays two feet by two with wire-mesh bottoms and sides four inches high.
—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Attempts by newsmen to get word from the Complex 34 blockhouse proved fruitless as pad personnel declined to supply information or page public information officials.
—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
That same Christmas in Columbia, a settlement of four blockhouses and 50 settlers founded a month earlier at what is now Columbia-Tusculum, pioneers held a feast.
—
Jeff Suess,
The Enquirer,
15 Dec. 2024
One of the original blockhouses overlooks the canal, while the old town is filled with art galleries and craft stories.
—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes,
9 Sep. 2024
Nearby, several of his men sat in the shade of a small blockhouse, holding automatic weapons.
—
Jon Lee Anderson,
The New Yorker,
17 July 2023
These bolts anchored the blockhouse to the slab, Penders said.
—
Rick Neale,
USA TODAY,
10 Apr. 2023
Chavez was responsible for the craft’s electrical monitor console, which was located in the blockhouse, a concrete building used to observe the proceedings.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Mar. 2019
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John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Attempts by newsmen to get word from the Complex 34 blockhouse proved fruitless as pad personnel declined to supply information or page public information officials.
—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
That same Christmas in Columbia, a settlement of four blockhouses and 50 settlers founded a month earlier at what is now Columbia-Tusculum, pioneers held a feast.
—
Jeff Suess,
The Enquirer,
15 Dec. 2024
One of the original blockhouses overlooks the canal, while the old town is filled with art galleries and craft stories.
—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes,
9 Sep. 2024
Nearby, several of his men sat in the shade of a small blockhouse, holding automatic weapons.
—
Jon Lee Anderson,
The New Yorker,
17 July 2023
These bolts anchored the blockhouse to the slab, Penders said.
—
Rick Neale,
USA TODAY,
10 Apr. 2023
Chavez was responsible for the craft’s electrical monitor console, which was located in the blockhouse, a concrete building used to observe the proceedings.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Mar. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Blockhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blockhouse. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
blockhouse
noun
block·house
-ˌhau̇s
1
: a building of heavy timbers or of concrete built with holes in its sides through which persons inside may fire out at an enemy
2
: a building used as an observation point for an operation likely to be accompanied by heat, blast, or radiation hazard
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