3 PHRASE If you hit a brick wall or come up against a brick wall , you are unable to continue or make progress because something stops you. [INFORMAL ] □ After that my career just seemed to hit a brick wall.
4 PHRASE You can use bricks and mortar to refer to houses and other buildings, especially when they are considered as an investment. □ As an investment, bricks and mortar are not what they were.
5 to come down on somebody like a ton of bricks → see ton
brick|bat /br I kbæt/ (brickbats ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Brickbats are very critical or insulting remarks which are made in public about someone or something.
brickie /br I ki/ (brickies ) N‑COUNT A brickie is the same as a bricklayer . [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
brick|layer /br I kle I ə r / (bricklayers ) N‑COUNT A bricklayer is a person whose job is to build walls using bricks.
brick|work /br I kwɜː r k/ N‑UNCOUNT You can refer to the bricks in the walls of a building as the brickwork . □ There were cracks in the brickwork.
brid|al /bra I d ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Bridal is used to describe something that belongs or relates to a bride, or to both a bride and the person she is marrying. □ She wore a floor-length bridal gown. □ …the bridal party.
bride /bra I d/ (brides ) N‑COUNT A bride is a woman who is getting married or who has just got married.
bride|groom /bra I dgruːm/ (bridegrooms ) N‑COUNT A bridegroom is a man who is getting married or who has just got married.
brides|maid /bra I dzme I d/ (bridesmaids ) N‑COUNT A bridesmaid is a woman or a girl who helps and accompanies a bride on her wedding day.
bri de-to-be (brides-to-be ) N‑COUNT A bride-to-be is a woman who is soon going to be married.
bridge ◆◆◇ /br I dʒ/ (bridges , bridging , bridged )
1 N‑COUNT A bridge is a structure that is built over a railway, river, or road so that people or vehicles can cross from one side to the other. □ He walked back over the railway bridge. □ …the Golden Gate Bridge.
2 N‑COUNT A bridge between two places is a piece of land that joins or connects them. □ …a land bridge linking Serbian territories.
3 VERB To bridge the gap between two people or things means to reduce it or get rid of it. □ [V n] It is unlikely that the two sides will be able to bridge their differences.
4 VERB Something that bridges the gap between two very different things has some of the qualities of each of these things. □ [V n] …the singer who bridged the gap between pop music and opera.
5 N‑COUNT If something or someone acts as a bridge between two people, groups, or things, they connect them. □ [+ between ] We hope this book will act as a bridge between doctor and patient. □ [+ to ] They saw themselves as a bridge to peace.
6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The bridge is the place on a ship from which it is steered.
7 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The bridge of your nose is the thin top part of it, between your eyes. □ [+ of ] On the bridge of his hooked nose was a pair of gold rimless spectacles.
8 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The bridge of a pair of glasses is the part that rests on your nose.
9 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The bridge of a violin, guitar, or other stringed instrument is the small piece of wood under the strings that holds them up.
10 N‑UNCOUNT Bridge is a card game for four players in which the players begin by declaring how many tricks they expect to win.
11 → see also suspension bridge
12 water under the bridge → see water COLLOCATIONS bridge NOUN
1
noun + bridge : pedestrian, railway
adjective + bridge : concrete, wooden; historic; low, narrow, rickety
verb + bridge : build, repair; close, open; cross, span
11
verb + bridge : play VERB 4
bridge + noun : divide, gap, gulf
bridge|head /br I dʒhed/ (bridgeheads ) N‑COUNT A bridgehead is a good position which an army has taken in the enemy's territory and from which it can advance or attack. □ A bridgehead was established.
bri dg|ing loan (bridging loans ) N‑COUNT A bridging loan is money that a bank lends you for a short time, for example so that you can buy a new house before you have sold the one you already own. [BRIT ]
bri|dle /bra I d ə l/ (bridles , bridling , bridled )
1 N‑COUNT A bridle is a set of straps that is put around a horse's head and mouth so that the person riding or driving the horse can control it.
2 VERB If you bridle , you show that you are angry or offended by moving your head and body upwards in a proud way. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] She bridled, then simply shook her head. □ [V + at ] Alex bridled at the shortness of Pamela's tone.
bri |dle path (bridle paths ) also bridlepath N‑COUNT A bridle path is a path intended for people riding horses.
bridle|way /bra I d ə lwe I / (bridleways ) N‑COUNT A bridleway is the same as a bridle path . [BRIT ]
Brie /briː / also brie N‑UNCOUNT Brie is a type of cheese that comes from France. It is soft and creamy with a white skin.