diff --git a/lib/assert.js b/lib/assert.js
index 555b38f39e59b9..e336119d92ca9e 100644
--- a/lib/assert.js
+++ b/lib/assert.js
@@ -555,12 +555,12 @@ function expectedException(actual, expected, msg) {
   return expected.call({}, actual) === true;
 }
 
-function getActual(block) {
-  if (typeof block !== 'function') {
-    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('block', 'Function', block);
+function getActual(fn) {
+  if (typeof fn !== 'function') {
+    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('fn', 'Function', fn);
   }
   try {
-    block();
+    fn();
   } catch (e) {
     return e;
   }
@@ -577,20 +577,21 @@ function checkIsPromise(obj) {
     typeof obj.catch === 'function';
 }
 
-async function waitForActual(block) {
+async function waitForActual(promiseFn) {
   let resultPromise;
-  if (typeof block === 'function') {
-    // Return a rejected promise if `block` throws synchronously.
-    resultPromise = block();
+  if (typeof promiseFn === 'function') {
+    // Return a rejected promise if `promiseFn` throws synchronously.
+    resultPromise = promiseFn();
     // Fail in case no promise is returned.
     if (!checkIsPromise(resultPromise)) {
       throw new ERR_INVALID_RETURN_VALUE('instance of Promise',
-                                         'block', resultPromise);
+                                         'promiseFn', resultPromise);
     }
-  } else if (checkIsPromise(block)) {
-    resultPromise = block;
+  } else if (checkIsPromise(promiseFn)) {
+    resultPromise = promiseFn;
   } else {
-    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('block', ['Function', 'Promise'], block);
+    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE(
+      'promiseFn', ['Function', 'Promise'], promiseFn);
   }
 
   try {
@@ -676,20 +677,20 @@ function expectsNoError(stackStartFn, actual, error, message) {
   throw actual;
 }
 
-assert.throws = function throws(block, ...args) {
-  expectsError(throws, getActual(block), ...args);
+assert.throws = function throws(promiseFn, ...args) {
+  expectsError(throws, getActual(promiseFn), ...args);
 };
 
-assert.rejects = async function rejects(block, ...args) {
-  expectsError(rejects, await waitForActual(block), ...args);
+assert.rejects = async function rejects(promiseFn, ...args) {
+  expectsError(rejects, await waitForActual(promiseFn), ...args);
 };
 
-assert.doesNotThrow = function doesNotThrow(block, ...args) {
-  expectsNoError(doesNotThrow, getActual(block), ...args);
+assert.doesNotThrow = function doesNotThrow(fn, ...args) {
+  expectsNoError(doesNotThrow, getActual(fn), ...args);
 };
 
-assert.doesNotReject = async function doesNotReject(block, ...args) {
-  expectsNoError(doesNotReject, await waitForActual(block), ...args);
+assert.doesNotReject = async function doesNotReject(fn, ...args) {
+  expectsNoError(doesNotReject, await waitForActual(fn), ...args);
 };
 
 assert.ifError = function ifError(err) {
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js b/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js
index 30c9a741c6ab10..f148c7e3d84235 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ const promises = [];
     name: 'TypeError [ERR_INVALID_RETURN_VALUE]',
     code: 'ERR_INVALID_RETURN_VALUE',
     message: 'Expected instance of Promise to be returned ' +
-             'from the "block" function but got type undefined.'
+             'from the "promiseFn" function but got type undefined.'
   }));
 
   promise = assert.rejects(Promise.resolve(), common.mustNotCall());
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ promises.push(assert.rejects(
   assert.rejects('fail', {}),
   {
     code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
-    message: 'The "block" argument must be one of type ' +
+    message: 'The "promiseFn" argument must be one of type ' +
              'Function or Promise. Received type string'
   }
 ));
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ promises.push(assert.rejects(
   const promise = assert.doesNotReject(() => new Map(), common.mustNotCall());
   promises.push(assert.rejects(promise, {
     message: 'Expected instance of Promise to be returned ' +
-             'from the "block" function but got instance of Map.',
+             'from the "promiseFn" function but got instance of Map.',
     code: 'ERR_INVALID_RETURN_VALUE',
     name: 'TypeError [ERR_INVALID_RETURN_VALUE]'
   }));
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ promises.push(assert.rejects(
   assert.doesNotReject(123),
   {
     code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
-    message: 'The "block" argument must be one of type ' +
+    message: 'The "promiseFn" argument must be one of type ' +
              'Function or Promise. Received type number'
   }
 ));
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index 72ba7d24436cae..bdbde655d783ab 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
@@ -348,15 +348,15 @@ try {
 }
 
 {
-  // Verify that throws() and doesNotThrow() throw on non-function block.
-  const testBlockTypeError = (method, block) => {
+  // Verify that throws() and doesNotThrow() throw on non-functions.
+  const testBlockTypeError = (method, fn) => {
     common.expectsError(
-      () => method(block),
+      () => method(fn),
       {
         code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
         type: TypeError,
-        message: 'The "block" argument must be of type Function. Received ' +
-                 `type ${typeof block}`
+        message: 'The "fn" argument must be of type Function. Received ' +
+                 `type ${typeof fn}`
       }
     );
   };
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-file-write-stream3.js b/test/parallel/test-file-write-stream3.js
index 6bb64e6092bfc6..db16318a5cde0e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-file-write-stream3.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-file-write-stream3.js
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ function run_test_3() {
 
 const run_test_4 = common.mustCall(function() {
   //  Error: start must be >= zero
-  const block = () => {
+  const fn = () => {
     fs.createWriteStream(filepath, { start: -5, flags: 'r+' });
   };
   const err = {
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ const run_test_4 = common.mustCall(function() {
              'It must be >= 0. Received {start: -5}',
     type: RangeError
   };
-  common.expectsError(block, err);
+  common.expectsError(fn, err);
 });
 
 run_test_1();
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-net-connect-options-port.js b/test/parallel/test-net-connect-options-port.js
index db7a123f77b7ad..afdfc2ac615ad6 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-net-connect-options-port.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-net-connect-options-port.js
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ const net = require('net');
   const hints = (dns.ADDRCONFIG | dns.V4MAPPED) + 42;
   const hintOptBlocks = doConnect([{ hints }],
                                   () => common.mustNotCall());
-  for (const block of hintOptBlocks) {
-    common.expectsError(block, {
+  for (const fn of hintOptBlocks) {
+    common.expectsError(fn, {
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE',
       type: TypeError,
       message: /The value "\d+" is invalid for option "hints"/
@@ -136,38 +136,31 @@ function doConnect(args, getCb) {
 function syncFailToConnect(port, assertErr, optOnly) {
   if (!optOnly) {
     // connect(port, cb) and connect(port)
-    const portArgBlocks = doConnect([port], () => common.mustNotCall());
-    for (const block of portArgBlocks) {
-      assert.throws(block,
-                    assertErr,
-                    `${block.name}(${port})`);
+    const portArgFunctions = doConnect([port], () => common.mustNotCall());
+    for (const fn of portArgFunctions) {
+      assert.throws(fn, assertErr, `${fn.name}(${port})`);
     }
 
     // connect(port, host, cb) and connect(port, host)
-    const portHostArgBlocks = doConnect([port, 'localhost'],
-                                        () => common.mustNotCall());
-    for (const block of portHostArgBlocks) {
-      assert.throws(block,
-                    assertErr,
-                    `${block.name}(${port}, 'localhost')`);
+    const portHostArgFunctions = doConnect([port, 'localhost'],
+                                           () => common.mustNotCall());
+    for (const fn of portHostArgFunctions) {
+      assert.throws(fn, assertErr, `${fn.name}(${port}, 'localhost')`);
     }
   }
   // connect({port}, cb) and connect({port})
-  const portOptBlocks = doConnect([{ port }],
-                                  () => common.mustNotCall());
-  for (const block of portOptBlocks) {
-    assert.throws(block,
-                  assertErr,
-                  `${block.name}({port: ${port}})`);
+  const portOptFunctions = doConnect([{ port }], () => common.mustNotCall());
+  for (const fn of portOptFunctions) {
+    assert.throws(fn, assertErr, `${fn.name}({port: ${port}})`);
   }
 
   // connect({port, host}, cb) and connect({port, host})
-  const portHostOptBlocks = doConnect([{ port: port, host: 'localhost' }],
-                                      () => common.mustNotCall());
-  for (const block of portHostOptBlocks) {
-    assert.throws(block,
+  const portHostOptFunctions = doConnect([{ port: port, host: 'localhost' }],
+                                         () => common.mustNotCall());
+  for (const fn of portHostOptFunctions) {
+    assert.throws(fn,
                   assertErr,
-                  `${block.name}({port: ${port}, host: 'localhost'})`);
+                  `${fn.name}({port: ${port}, host: 'localhost'})`);
   }
 }
 
@@ -175,28 +168,27 @@ function canConnect(port) {
   const noop = () => common.mustCall();
 
   // connect(port, cb) and connect(port)
-  const portArgBlocks = doConnect([port], noop);
-  for (const block of portArgBlocks) {
-    block();
+  const portArgFunctions = doConnect([port], noop);
+  for (const fn of portArgFunctions) {
+    fn();
   }
 
   // connect(port, host, cb) and connect(port, host)
-  const portHostArgBlocks = doConnect([port, 'localhost'], noop);
-  for (const block of portHostArgBlocks) {
-    block();
+  const portHostArgFunctions = doConnect([port, 'localhost'], noop);
+  for (const fn of portHostArgFunctions) {
+    fn();
   }
 
   // connect({port}, cb) and connect({port})
-  const portOptBlocks = doConnect([{ port }], noop);
-  for (const block of portOptBlocks) {
-    block();
+  const portOptFunctions = doConnect([{ port }], noop);
+  for (const fn of portOptFunctions) {
+    fn();
   }
 
   // connect({port, host}, cb) and connect({port, host})
-  const portHostOptBlocks = doConnect([{ port: port, host: 'localhost' }],
-                                      noop);
-  for (const block of portHostOptBlocks) {
-    block();
+  const portHostOptFns = doConnect([{ port, host: 'localhost' }], noop);
+  for (const fn of portHostOptFns) {
+    fn();
   }
 }
 
@@ -208,21 +200,20 @@ function asyncFailToConnect(port) {
 
   const dont = () => common.mustNotCall();
   // connect(port, cb) and connect(port)
-  const portArgBlocks = doConnect([port], dont);
-  for (const block of portArgBlocks) {
-    block().on('error', onError());
+  const portArgFunctions = doConnect([port], dont);
+  for (const fn of portArgFunctions) {
+    fn().on('error', onError());
   }
 
   // connect({port}, cb) and connect({port})
-  const portOptBlocks = doConnect([{ port }], dont);
-  for (const block of portOptBlocks) {
-    block().on('error', onError());
+  const portOptFunctions = doConnect([{ port }], dont);
+  for (const fn of portOptFunctions) {
+    fn().on('error', onError());
   }
 
   // connect({port, host}, cb) and connect({port, host})
-  const portHostOptBlocks = doConnect([{ port: port, host: 'localhost' }],
-                                      dont);
-  for (const block of portHostOptBlocks) {
-    block().on('error', onError());
+  const portHostOptFns = doConnect([{ port, host: 'localhost' }], dont);
+  for (const fn of portHostOptFns) {
+    fn().on('error', onError());
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-net-server-listen-options.js b/test/parallel/test-net-server-listen-options.js
index 41cc07d40d4d6e..6c783c95dcaebd 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-net-server-listen-options.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-net-server-listen-options.js
@@ -54,20 +54,20 @@ const listenOnPort = [
 
 {
   function shouldFailToListen(options) {
-    const block = () => {
+    const fn = () => {
       net.createServer().listen(options, common.mustNotCall());
     };
 
     if (typeof options === 'object' &&
       !(('port' in options) || ('path' in options))) {
-      common.expectsError(block,
+      common.expectsError(fn,
                           {
                             code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_VALUE',
                             type: TypeError,
                             message: /^The argument 'options' must have the property "port" or "path"\. Received .+$/,
                           });
     } else {
-      common.expectsError(block,
+      common.expectsError(fn,
                           {
                             code: 'ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE',
                             type: TypeError,