Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
briar (2)
briard
Briareus
briarroot
briarwood
bribe
bribery
bric-a-brac
brick
brick-and-mortar
brick-red
brick veneer
brickbat
brickfielder
brickie
bricklayer
brickmaking
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "brick" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

brick

brick [ brik ]


noun  (plural bricks)
Definition:
 
1. hard block used for construction: a rectangular block of clay or a similar material that is baked until it is hard and is used for building houses, walls, and other large permanent structures

2. bricks or their material: bricks collectively, or the material they are made of

3. block: a rectangular block of something, e.g. of ice cream or coffee

4. U.K. leisure 
Same as  building block


5. reliable supportive person: a helpful or supportive person ( dated informal )



transitive verb  (past and past participle bricked, present participle brick·ing, 3rd person present singular bricks)
Definition:
 
1. make something with bricks: to use bricks to build something or as a liner or paving material for something

2. close something up with bricks: to close something up or wall something off with bricks and mortar
the window had been bricked up

[15th century. < Middle Dutch bricke, later reinforced by French brique]

hit the bricks 

1. 
to go out and actively look for something, e.g. a job or housing
 

2. 
to go on strike


Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft