Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun building_block

2 senses of building block

Sense 1
unit, building block -- (a single undivided natural thing occurring in the composition of something else; "units of nucleic acids")
       => thing -- (a separate and self-contained entity)

Sense 2
building block -- (a block of material used in construction work)
       => building material -- (material used for constructing buildings)