block and tackle
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
A system of pulleys and ropes for lifting heavy loads
Literally: a wooden block with a tackle
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “Irreversible binomial” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29). Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “block and tackle” mean?
A system of pulleys and ropes for lifting heavy loads Literally: a wooden block with a tackle
Is “block and tackle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“pa lăng” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.