From Middle Dutch 'blok' (tree trunk), via Old French 'bloc' — a Germanic word that detoured through French.
A large solid piece of material with flat surfaces; an obstacle that prevents movement.
From Old French 'bloc' meaning 'log, block,' from Middle Dutch 'blok' (trunk of a tree). A Germanic word that passed through French back into English. Key roots: blok (Middle Dutch: "trunk of a tree").