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brickbat

American  
[brik-bat] / ˈbrɪkˌbæt /

noun

  1. a piece of broken brick, especially one used as a missile.

  2. any rocklike missile.

  3. an unkind or unfavorable remark; caustic criticism.

    The critics greeted the play with brickbats.


brickbat British  
/ ˈbrɪkˌbæt /

noun

  1. a piece of brick or similar material, esp one used as a weapon

  2. blunt criticism

    the critic threw several brickbats at the singer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of brickbat

First recorded in 1555–65; brick + bat 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

There is one more bouquet to deliver from the weekend, although it won't be popular, so it comes with a bit of a brickbat.

From The Guardian Feb. 19, 2013

Inside, the conductor Daniel Barenboim lobbed a brickbat of his own.

From New York Times Dec. 7, 2010

Lydon has lobbed many a brickbat at McLaren over the years, but when asked about the death of his one-time manager, he gets serious.

From Reuters Apr. 13, 2010

Let me get the brickbat out of the way.

From Washington Post

What kind of bat flies without wings?—A brickbat.

From Cole's Funny Picture Book No. 1 by E. W. (Edward William) Cole

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