Each block references the hash of its predecessor, which is what makes the chain a chain: altering an old block would change its hash and invalidate every block after it. Block height is simply how many blocks deep the chain is, and it is a more reliable way to describe a point in Bitcoin's history than a date.
Block
A batch of transactions, cryptographically chained to the one before it, added to the ledger roughly every ten minutes.
Also called: blocks, block height
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