noun / verb
brick
BRIK/brɪk/
A solid rectangular building block, or to build, cover, or block with such blocks.
The red brick has a solid rectangular form and crisp edges.
Etymology
Old French briche already meant a building brick. Its probable Germanic connection points to a “piece broken off,” linking the building block with the idea of a fragment.
In context
The building is made from concrete slabs and brick. Just like the soil inside a termite mound, these materials have a high “thermal mass”— which means they can absorb a lot of heat without really changing temperature.
More examples
- They bricked up the unused doorway.
- A stack of red bricks stands beside the worksite.
- Workers are bricking the opening to match the surrounding wall.
Forms
brick · bricks · bricked · bricking
Similar words
- block
- A building block can be larger and made of various materials; brick commonly means a smaller rectangular unit.