Phrase guide

brick veneer

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

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Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A building construction technique in which an external, non-structural, brick wall conceals a structural wall of another material (such as timber or steel); the layer of covering thus produced.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: architecture

Examples

  • The front has a brick veneer, and the back is sided in clapboard.
  • 2003, Ali M. Memari, Mohammad Aliaari, Ahmad A. Hamid, Evaluation of Seismic Performance of Anchored Brick Veneer Walls, Paul G. Johnson, Performance of Exterior Building Walls, page 115, Brick veneer walls are supported in most cases by shelf angles attached to the floor slab at each story and are supposed to carry only ther own weight and not participate in inplane lateral load resistance [...] In this paper, it is discussed how the vertical differential movement between the brick veneer and the frame can close the gap between the underside of the shelf angle and the top course of brick, thus putting the brick veneer under high compressive stresses.
  • 2010, The Complete Guide to Masonry and Stonework, 3rd edition, Black & Decker, page 262, And because brick veneer does not require mortar, installation is well within the capabilities of interested homeowners.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: masonry veneer, veneer

2

noun

Meaning 2

A building with such a veneer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, metonymically, uncommon, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.