Goldbrick Definition

gōldbrĭk

goldbricks

noun

A worthless metal bar gilded and sold as solid gold in a swindle.

Webster's New World

A person who tries to avoid work; shirker; loafer.

Webster's New World

Anything worthless passed off as genuine or valuable.

Webster's New World

(US slang, dated) A shirker or malingerer.

Wiktionary

(US slang, dated) A swindler.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

verb

To shirk a duty or avoid work; loaf.

Webster's New World

To cheat; swindle.

American Heritage

(US slang, dated) To shirk or malinger.

Wiktionary

(US slang, dated) To swindle.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Goldbrick

Singular:

goldbrick

Plural:

gold +‎ brick, originally (1850s) an actual gold ingot or “gold brick/goldbrick”, later a swindle that consisted of selling a putative goldbrick, which was only coated in gold. The swindle is attested from 1879, the sense “to swindle” is attested 1902, and the sense “to shirk” is attested 1914, popularized as World War I armed forces slang. In early 1900s, used to refer to an unattractive young woman – not pretty, nor able to talk or dance (attested 1903), thence to refer to incompetent enlisted troops at the start of World War I, reinforced by the rank insignia of second lieutenants, which was a gold rectangle.

From Wiktionary

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