Phrase guide

block heater

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

block+heater: From being a heating unit for a vehicular engine block

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: parkeringsvarmer — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather
  • Finnish: lohkolämmitin — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather
  • Finnish: moottorinlämmitin — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather
  • French: chauffe-moteur — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather
  • French: chauffe-bloc moteur — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather
  • French: chauffe-bloc — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather
  • French: bloc-heater — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: motorvarmar — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather
  • Romanian: încălzitor de motor — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather
  • Russian: предпусково́й подогрева́тель дви́гателя (predpuskovój podogrevátelʹ dvígatelja) — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather
  • Swedish: motorvärmare — an electric heater that heats the engine of a car to ease starting in cold weather