/bɹɪk/
OriginFrom Late Middle English brik, bryke, bricke, from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch bricke ("cracked or broken brick; tile-stone"; modern Dutch brik), ultimately related to Proto-West Germanic *brekan (“to break”), whence also Old French briche and French brique (“brick”). Compare also German Low German Brickje (“small board, tray”). Related to break.
The social media slang sense derives from memes about building up one's feed “brick by brick”, analogizing bricks with reels that inform the algorithm.
- countableA hardened rectangular block of mud, clay etc., used for building.
“This wall is made of bricks.”
- uncountableSuch hardened mud, clay, etc. considered collectively, as a building material.
“This house is made of brick.”
“They gather one by one, trickling into the shady courtyard, the familiar hum of Mass. Ave. wafting in from behind brick buildings and iron gates.”
- countableSomething shaped like a brick.
“a plastic explosive brick”
- countable, uncountableThe colour brick red.
“The handyman considered the question and I knew she had a brick of ground beans in her bag but was considering whether the beds and a hot drink was worth a brick of coffee.”
“He disentangled himself from the safe door and delved inside. He brought out a brick of banknotes.”
“A few times, when I got tired of my whisky highs and tobacco fumes, I turned to my new little helper, the tiny brick of cannabis resin I got from Don.”
- countable, dated, slang, uncountableA helpful and reliable person.
“Thanks for helping me wash the car. You’re a brick.”
““It's easy to see you're a brick!” replied Lady Augusta, and the laugh again became general.”
“Theobald's mind worked in this way: "Now, I know Ernest has told this boy what a disagreeable person I am, and I will just show him that I am not disagreeable at all, but a good old fellow, a jolly ol”
- countable, slang, uncountableA shot which misses, particularly one which bounces directly out of the basket because of a too-flat trajectory, as if the ball were a heavier object.
“We can't win if we keep throwing up bricks from three-point land.”
- countable, informal, uncountableA power brick; an external power supply consisting of a small box with an integral male plug and an attached cord terminating in another plug.
- countable, figuratively, slang, uncountableAn electronic device, especially a heavy box-shaped one, that has become non-functional or obsolete.
- UK, countable, slang, uncountableA projectile.
“I was on deck watching the firing, and looking at the direction in which our guns were pointing, it was obvious that it was not going to be Centurion who was going to receive our bricks.”
- countable, uncountableA carton of 500 rimfire cartridges, which forms the approximate size and shape of a brick.
- countable, slang, uncountableA community card (usually the turn or the river) which does not improve a player's hand.
“The two of clubs was a complete brick on the river.”
- countable, slang, uncountableA kilogram of cocaine.
“I can sell bricks, I don't need to rap / Buj so peng it makes the fiends collapse / Cook that coca into crack / I was selling Zs while you was in your bed”
- countable, slang, uncountableA reel or short video.
“I built up this feed brick by brick.”
“OK, you can have this brick back, I don't want it”
- transitiveTo build, line, or form with bricks.
“to be bricked alive (as a form of capital punishment)”
“If the ground is strong right up to the surface, a few yards are usually sunk and bricked before the engines and pit top are erected”
“The shaft was next bricked between the decks until the top scaffold was supported by the brickwork and [made] to share the weight with the prids.”
- transitiveTo make into bricks.
“The plant, which is here described, for bricking fine ores and flue dust, was designed and the plans produced in the engineering department of the Selby smelter.”
- slang, transitiveTo hit someone or something with a brick.
- slang, transitiveTo make (an electronic device) non-functional and usually beyond repair, as a result of software or configuration issues.
“My VCR was bricked during the lightning storm.”
“Just need to project against users from deleting NK.BIN and bricking the device.”
“installing third-party firmware will void your warranty, and it is possible that you may brick your router.”
- intransitive, slangOf an electronic device, to become non-functional, especially in a way beyond repair, as a result of software or configuration issues.
“My phone bricked halfway through the videoconference.”
- intransitive, slangTo blunder; to screw up.
- New-York, colloquial, not-comparableExtremely cold.
“And while the tropics are definitely the place to be when it's brick outside, rocking a snorkel on the beach only works when you're snorkeling.”
“He was always hanging tight with me and since he had access to a ride . . . it made traveling easier. I mean it was no biggie brain buster to take the train, but when it's brick outside . . . fuck the”
“Read on for tips so you don't freeze your ass off when it's brick outside.”
Formsbricks(plural) · bricks(present, singular, third-person) · bricking(participle, present) · bricked(participle, past) · bricked(past) · Bricks(plural)