brick

noun, often attributive

\ ˈbrik

Definition of brick

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 plural bricks or brick : a handy-sized unit of building or paving material typically being rectangular and about 2¹/₄ × 3³/₄ × 8 inches (57 × 95 × 203 millimeters) and made of moist clay hardened by heat

2 : a good-hearted person

3 : a rectangular compressed mass (as of ice cream)

4 : a semisoft cheese with numerous small holes, smooth texture, and often mild flavor

5 : gaffe, blunder —used especially in the phrase drop a brick

6 : a badly missed shot in basketball he threw up a brick

brick

verb

bricked; bricking; bricks

Definition of brick (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to close, face, or pave with bricks —usually used with up, in, or over brick up a doorwaybrick over an opening

2 : to render (an electronic device, such as a smartphone) nonfunctional (as by accidental damage, malicious hacking, or software changes) … those who dared hack the phone to add features … risked having it "bricked"—completely and permanently disabled—on the next automatic update …— Jonathan Zittrain

3 basketball, informal : to miss (a shot) very badly : to throw up a brick on (a shot) (see brick entry 1 sense 6) brick a free throw

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about brick

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Examples of brick in a Sentence

Noun

a house made of brick a brick of ice cream children playing with wooden bricks He has been an absolute brick.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The couple ended their run at the market in early 2019 to focus on their next project: a brick-and-mortar restaurant. — Lauren Saria, azcentral, "This husband-and-wife team is moving their popular bakery and restaurant into the former Hula's building," 17 June 2019 Smoke showing from the top of 1436 Massachusetts Ave. sent firefighters to the 4-story brick and wood-framed building just after 7:30 a.m., Cambridge Fire Department said on Twitter. — Sabrina Schnur, BostonGlobe.com, "Cambridge firefighters put out blaze in Harvard Square," 17 June 2019 Police and protesters were injured as police fired batons, tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators, who hurled bricks and planks. — Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY, "What's next for Hong Kong? Controversial extradition bill suspended, not scrapped," 15 June 2019 Around 36 police officers suffered minor injuries due to bricks and rocks being thrown at them and several police vehicles were damaged. — Fox News, "Man shot and killed by US marshals was wanted in Mississippi in connection with shooting," 14 June 2019 Now, starting Saturday, June 15, Moser’s dream of a brick-and-mortar gathering place will come true as Backhaus opens in downtown San Mateo. — Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, "San Mateo’s Backhaus opening a brick-and-mortar bakery," 14 June 2019 Pat Gallagher was speed-walking from room to room in his red-brick ranch home, chasing after his only child, Patrick, as the toddler’s 7 p.m. bedtime approached. — Washington Post, "He never expected to be a single dad. Then a gunman in Virginia Beach made him one.," 14 June 2019 Riders will most likely pass the city’s red-brick cathedral, a Unesco World Heritage site and royal necropolis, and then sprint across the 11-mile (18-kilometer) Great Belt Bridge over the Baltic Sea to reach the finish-line in Nyborg. — New York Times, "The Tour de France to Start in Denmark in 2021," 13 June 2019 Arcadia is suffering from many of the same challenges facing other bricks-and-mortar retailers, including declining foot traffic and expensive leases. — Tom Corrigan, WSJ, "Creditors Approve Rescue Plan for Topshop Parent," 13 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Their enclosure began when they were literally bricked into their cells, and was meant to continue until the moment of their death. — Annie Sutherland, Quartzy, "“The Handmaid’s Tale” costume is now the ultimate symbol of women’s rights," 13 June 2019 Wiens made note of how Error 53, which bricked iPhones using third-party components, forced Apple to develop a fix for the issue. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "Apple confirms its T2 security chip blocks some third-party repairs of new Macs," 12 Nov. 2018 Yes, ECUs so equipped will brick themselves if malicious code is introduced into theirs—but that’s separate from tuning efforts. — Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, "The 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette's Engine Computer is Tuner-Resistant? We Think Not," 30 May 2019 But fans aren’t pleased, especially considering that the company has a history of bricking remote setups without warning. — Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge, "Logitech angers users with Harmony update that breaks some home automation setups," 20 Dec. 2018 This isn’t the first time Logitech’s had to make amends: the company decided to brick the Harmony Hub’s predecessor last March, and agreed to give every owner a free Harmony Hub to deal with that backlash. — Sean Hollister, The Verge, "Logitech pulls 180, will un-break third-party Harmony home automation," 21 Dec. 2018 Deary gutted the place to brick and studs himself, then moved walls to open it up, most notably in the master bath, where now no walls exist at all. — Kathleen Hackett, ELLE Decor, "Keri Russell at Home," 5 May 2011 This isn't the first time Logitech has essentially bricked one of its own devices. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Logitech disables local access on Harmony Hubs, breaks automation systems [Update]," 19 Dec. 2018 Apple Watch owners can rest assured that today’s update is specifically built not to brick their devices. — Dami Lee, The Verge, "watchOS 5.1.1 is out now, and it will no longer brick your Apple Watch," 5 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brick.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.