brick

noun

1. (countable)A hardened rectangular block of mud, clay etc., used for building.

   “This wall is made of bricks.”

2. (uncountable)Such 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.”

3. (countable)Something shaped like a brick.

   “a plastic explosive brick”

4. (countable, uncountable)The 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.”

5. (countable, dated, slang, uncountable)A 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 old boy, in fact a regular old brick, and that it is Ernest who is in fault all through."”

   “‘Somebody had to stay with you,’ said Bobbie. ‘Tell you what, Bobbie,’ said Jim, ‘you’re a brick. Shake.’”

   ““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.”

6. (countable, slang, uncountable)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.

   “We can't win if we keep throwing up bricks from three-point land.”

7. (countable, informal, uncountable)A power brick; an external power supply consisting of a small box with an integral male plug and an attached cord terminating in another plug.
8. (countable, figuratively, slang, uncountable)An electronic device, especially a heavy box-shaped one, that has become non-functional or obsolete.
9. (UK, countable, slang, uncountable)A 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.”

10. (countable, uncountable)A carton of 500 rimfire cartridges, which forms the approximate size and shape of a brick.
11. (countable, slang, uncountable)A 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.”

12. (countable, uncountable)A card in a player's hand that is currently unplayable.
13. (countable, slang, uncountable)A 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”

14. (countable, derogatory, offensive, uncountable)A trans woman who does not pass.

    “Was she like you—a brick, never passed, never gonna?”

    “In the world of drag, “brick” is a shady word, slang lobbed at queens whose makeup looks busted, whose wardrobes have seen better days, or who are just generally giving hot mess.”

    “:( body positivity doesn't work on me :3 being a brick is awful smh”

15. (countable, slang, uncountable)A reel or short video.

    “I built up this feed brick by brick.”

    “OK, you can have this brick back, I don't want it”

verb

1. (transitive)To 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.”

   “He came in and we went out to the back area I'd bricked amateurishly years ago.”

2. (transitive)To 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.”

3. (slang, transitive)To hit someone or something with a brick.
4. (slang, transitive)To 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.”

   “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.”

5. (intransitive, slang)Of 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.”

6. (intransitive, slang)To blunder; to screw up.

adj

1. (New-York, colloquial, not-comparable)Extremely 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 A train.”

   “Read on for tips so you don't freeze your ass off when it's brick outside.”

   “"It's brick cold. Could you imagine stepping on this with your bare foot?" Taylor said.”

name

1. (countable, uncountable)A surname.
2. (countable, uncountable)A township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, named after Joseph Brick.