Law Dictionary Definitions

block grant.An unrestricted grant of federal funds. [Cases: United States  82. C.J.S. United States § 155.][Blacks Law 8th]

blocked income.See INCOME. [Blacks Law 8th]

blocked currency.See CURRENCY. [Blacks Law 8th]

blocked account.See ACCOUNT.[Blacks Law 8th]

blockbusting. The act or practice, usu. by a real-estate broker, of persuading one or more property owners to sell their property quickly, and often at a loss, to avoid an imminent influx of minority groups. • Blockbusting is illegal in many states. [Cases: Brokers  1, 4; Civil Rights  1076. C.J.S. Brokers §§ 6–12; Civil Rights…

Blockburger test.Criminal law. A test, for double-jeopardy purposes, of whether a defendant can be punished separately for convictions on two charges or prosecuted later on a different charge after being convicted or acquitted on a charge involving the same incident; a comparison of two charges to see if each contains at least one element that the…

block-booking,n. Copyright. In the licensing or use of movies, the practice by film distributors of conditioning the license or use on the acceptance of an entire package or block of films, which typically includes unwanted or inferior films. • In United States v. Loew’s, Inc., 371 U.S. 38, 83 S.Ct. 97 (1962), the U.S. Supreme…

blockage rule.Tax. The principle that a large block of stock shares may be valued at less than the total value of the individual shares because such a large block may be difficult to sell at full price. [Cases: Internal Revenue  4534; Taxation  1072. C.J.S. Internal Revenue §§ 523, 646.][Blacks Law 8th]

blockade.Int’l law.A belligerent’s prevention of access to or egress from an enemy’s ports by stationing ships to intercept vessels trying to enter or leave those ports. • To be binding, a blockade must be effective — that is, it must be maintained by a force sufficient to prevent access to ports. — Also termed simple…

block,n.1. A municipal area enclosed by streets <three blocks away>. See LOT (1).2. A quantity of things bought or sold as a unit <a block of preferred shares>.[Blacks Law 8th]