Bricks

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bɹɪks/

Definitions

1. Solid, rectangular components typically formed from clay or similar materials that are utilized in the building industry to create various structures and walls
2. Rectangular, hardened structures often made of clay, used as foundational elements in construction projects and architectural designs
3. Small, rectangular blocks made of clay or similar substances used to construct buildings and walls

Etymology: Bricks take their name from a word meaning "broken," which is fitting for a material that begins as wet clay and is hardened by fire. Late Middle English "brik" was borrowed from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch "bricke," meaning a cracked or broken piece of tile-stone. That Germanic word goes back to a Proto-West Germanic root meaning "to break," the same root behind English "break." French "brique" and Old French "briche" come from the same source, so the English word is a relative of the French one rather than a borrowing from it. The word has also picked up figurative senses. One is the image of a reliable, helpful person who is a solid part of a group. This goes back to Lycurgus, the lawgiver of Sparta, who described the army as the city's walls, with every man a brick. The newest sense comes from social media slang, where "brick by brick" describes building up one's feed slowly, treating each reel as a brick that shapes the algorithm.

Synonyms: blocks, tiles, stones, bricks, pavers