Microblock

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tiny brick, stone, or modular building element used in construction, masonry, or decorative applications ; a minimal unit of addressable memory or data subdivision in computing systems
2. A diminutive block serving as a basic component in physical building or assembly work ; the smallest discrete segment of memory or data that a system can access or manipulate
3. A small standardized block employed in construction or creative building projects ; a minimal allocation of computer storage or memory treated as an indivisible unit

Etymology: "Microblock" is simply "micro-" joined to "block," with no hidden history behind it. The prefix "micro-" comes from Greek "mikros," meaning "small," and it has been used in English to build technical terms for something tiny in scale. "Block" is an older word, used for a solid piece of material or a unit of something, and when the two are combined the result names a small block. In practice, a microblock is a small, self-contained chunk of material or code, the sort of unit that is easier to handle, test or reuse than a larger whole. The word follows the same pattern as many other modern compounds where a familiar noun is shrunk down by a prefix to name a finer-grained version of it.