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goldbrick

[ gohld-brik for 1, 2; gohld-brik for 3–5 ]
/ ˈgoʊldˈbrɪk for 1, 2; ˈgoʊldˌbrɪk for 3–5 /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR goldbrick ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Informal. a brick made to look like gold, sold by a swindler.
Informal. anything supposed to be valuable but which turns out to be worthless.
Also gold·brick·er. Slang. a person, especially a soldier, who shirks responsibility or performs duties without proper effort or care.

verb (used without object) Slang.

to shirk responsibility or perform halfheartedly; loaf.

verb (used with object)

to swindle; cheat.

RELATED WORDS

pussyfoot, loaf, fence, cheat, sidestep, elude, slip, duck, creep, quit, lounge, shirk, dodge, slink, eschew, lurk, parry, malinger, bum, shun

Nearby words

  1. goldberger,
  2. goldberger, joseph,
  3. goldbergian,
  4. goldblatt kidney,
  5. goldblatt phenomenon,
  6. goldbug,
  7. goldcrest,
  8. goldcup,
  9. golden,
  10. golden age

Origin of goldbrick

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; gold + brick
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Word Origin and History for goldbrick

goldbrick

n.

"shirker," 1914, World War I armed forces slang, from earlier verb meaning "to swindle, cheat" (1902) from the old con game of selling spurious "gold" bricks (attested by 1882).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper