Definition of "brick"

brick

/bɹɪk/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural bricks
1. (countable) A hardened rectangular block of mud, clay etc., used for building.
2. (uncountable) Such hardened mud, clay, etc. considered collectively, as a building material.
3. (countable) Something shaped like a brick.
  Quotations
  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.
  2011, Seth Kenlon, Revolution Radio, page 70
  He disentangled himself from the safe door and delved inside. He brought out a brick of banknotes.
  2012, Kevin Sampson, Powder, page 34
  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.
  2021, Stan Erisman, A Sea of Troubles, page 31
4. (slang, dated) A helpful and reliable person.
  Quotations
  “It's easy to see you're a brick!” replied Lady Augusta, and the laugh again became general.
  1863, Elizabeth Caroline Grey, Good Society; Or, Contrasts of Character‎, page 72
  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 old boy, in fact a regular old brick, and that it is Ernest who is in fault all through."
  1903, Samuel Butler, chapter 48, in The Way of All Flesh
  ‘Somebody had to stay with you,’ said Bobbie.‘Tell you what, Bobbie,’ said Jim, ‘you’re a brick. Shake.’
  1906, Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children‎, page 168
  “Well, I’ll do what I can for you,” said the seaman, …“If you were only shorter, I'd lend you some clothes.”“You're a brick,” said the soldier gratefully.
  1960, W.W. Jacobs, Cargoes‎, page 45
5. (basketball, slang) A 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.
6. (informal) A power brick; an external power supply consisting of a small box with an integral male power plug and an attached electric cord terminating in another power plug.
7. (computing slang, figurative) An electronic device, especially a heavy box-shaped one, that has become non-functional or obsolete.
8. (UK, naval, slang) A projectile.
  Quotations
  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.
  2019, Daniel Knowles, HMS Hood: Pride of the Royal Navy
9. (firearms) A carton of 500 rimfire cartridges, which forms the approximate size and shape of a brick.
10. (poker slang) A community card (usually the turn or the river) which does not improve a player's hand.
11. The colour brick red.
12. (slang) A kilogram of cocaine.
  Quotations
  I can sell bricks, I don't need to rapBuj so peng it makes the fiends collapseCook that coca into crackI was selling Zs while you was in your bed
  2013, Snap Capone (lyrics and music), “Lights Out”, in The Memoir‎, from 0:16
adjective
not comparable
1. (colloquial, African-American Vernacular, New York, New England, of weather) Extremely cold.
  Quotations
  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.
  2005, Vibe, volume 12, number 14, page 102
  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 A train.
  2014, Ray Mack, Underestimated: A Searcher's Story, page 89
  Read on for tips so you don't freeze your ass off when it's brick outside.
  2017 January 18, Anthony J. Yeung, “Running During Winter Sucks. But It Doesn't Have To.”, in Esquire
  "It's brick cold. Could you imagine stepping on this with your bare foot?" Taylor said.
  2018 January 4, Melissa Hipolit, “HUD: Creighton Court residents without heat being relocated”, in CBS 6 TV
verb
third-person singular simple present bricks, present participle bricking, simple past and past participle bricked
1. (transitive) To build, line, or form with bricks.
  Quotations
  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
  1904, Thomas Hansom Cockin, An Elementary Class-Book of Practical Coal-Mining, C. Lockwood and Son, page 78
  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.
  1914, The Mining Engineer, Institution of Mining Engineers, page 349
  He came in and we went out to the back area I'd bricked amateurishly years ago.
  2010, Peter Corris, Torn Apart, Allen and Unwin, page 18
2. (transitive) To make into bricks.
  Quotations
  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.
  1904 September 15, James C. Bennett, Walter Renton Ingalls (editor), Lead Smelting and Refining with Some Notes on Lead Mining (1906), The Engineering and Mining Journal, page 66
3. (transitive, slang) To hit someone or something with a brick.
4. (transitive, computing slang) To make an electronic device nonfunctional and usually beyond repair, essentially making it no more useful than a brick.
5. (intransitive, computing slang, of an electronic device) To become nonfunctional, especially in a way beyond repair.
  Quotations
  Just need to project against users from deleting NK.BIN and bricking the device.
  2002 October 15, Mike Leeson, “How to write protect nk.bin”, in microsoft.public.windowsce.platbuilder‎ (Usenet), retrieved 2016-02-25, message-ID <OHm5#hLdCHA.2592@tkmsftngp09>
  installing third-party firmware will void your warranty, and it is possible that you may brick your router.
  2007 December 14, Joe Barr, “PacketProtector turns SOHO router into security powerhouse”, in Linux.com
  Google owner Alphabet’s subsidiary Nest is closing a smart-home company it bought less than two years ago, leaving customers’ devices useless as of May. […] The company declined to share how many customers would be left with bricked devices as a result of the shutdown.
  2016, Alex Hern, “Revolv devices bricked as Google's Nest shuts down smart home company”, in The Guardian‎
6. (intransitive, slang) To blunder; to screw up.

Definition of "brick"

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noun

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adjective

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verb

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