The Japanese names of the "blocks"* in karate generally include the word "uke", as in "Jodan Uke" (upper block).
I think the literal translation is something closer to "receive", as in you are receiving the punch and handling it appropriately. For arts in the jujutsu family of course, uke is the person receiving the technique being demonstrated.
*(If you read enough threads in the Karate forums you will see there is
considerable debate regarding the "correct" meaning and application of these techniques. Are they blocks, strikes, parries, grappling techniques hidden in the bunkai, all of the above, something else? Opinions vary widely.)