brick trowel
- noun
- /brɪk traʊəl/
- Specialized
:
paleta de albañil
- The mason expertly spread mortar with his brick trowel as he built the wall.
Examples
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After mixing the cement, she used a brick trowel to apply it evenly between the bricks.
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He used a brick trowel to smooth the mortar.
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A good brick trowel is essential for any bricklaying project.
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The brick trowel is essential for masonry work.
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A good brick trowel is essential for any bricklaying project.
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After mixing the cement, she used a brick trowel to apply it evenly between the bricks.
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The mason expertly spread mortar with his brick trowel as he built the wall.
Synonyms
A hand tool with a flat pointed blade for spreading and shaping mortar or cement
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is a straightforward noun+noun combination where 'brick' specifies the kind/purpose of the tool and 'trowel' names the tool, so the meaning 'a trowel used for working with bricks/mortar' is directly derivable from the parts. This modifier+head compounding is a common and predictable pattern in English (and many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
Brick trowel is a simple, literal name: brick shows it is for laying bricks and trowel is the flat hand blade used to pick up and spread mortar. Imagine scooping mortar on the blade and smoothing it between bricks, and you see why the name means 'the tool masons use to apply mortar'.
