goldbrick

1 of 2

noun

gold·​brick ˈgōl(d)-ˌbrik 

1

a

: a worthless brick that appears to be of gold

b

: something that appears to be valuable but is actually worthless

2

: a person who shirks assigned work

goldbrick

2 of 2

verb

goldbricked; goldbricking; goldbricks

transitive verb

: swindle

intransitive verb

: to shirk duty or responsibility

Did you know?

The gold brick swindle is an old one but it crops up constantly, states an 1881 National Police Gazette article referring to the con artist's practice of passing off bricks made of base metal as gold. By the time World War I was under way, the word goldbrick was associated with another sort of trickery. The sense of the word meaning "shirker" originated in the slang of the United States Army, where it referred to a soldier who feigned illness or injury in order to get out of work or service. That sense has since expanded in usage to refer to any person who avoids or tries to get out of his or her assignment.

Synonyms

Noun

• shirker
• slacker

Example Sentences

Noun

the goldbricks among the colonists were warned: no work, no food

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1893, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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