brown-nose

brown-nose
verb
flatter with the intention of getting something
• Syn: ↑butter up
• Hypernyms: ↑flatter, ↑blandish
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s somebody

-

Sam cannot brown-nose Sue

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/brown"nohz'/, v., brown-nosed, brown-nosing, n. Slang.
v.i.
1. to curry favor; behave obsequiously.
v.t.
2. to seek favors from (a person) in an obsequious manner; fawn over.
n.
3. Also, brown-noser. a toady; sycophant. Cf. ass-kissing.
[1935-40; BROWN + NOSE]

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brownˈ-nose transitive verb and intransitive verb (vulgar sl)
To act obsequiously (towards), curry favour (with)
noun
An extremely obsequious person (also brownˈ-noser)
• • •
Main Entry: ↑brown

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brown-nose UK US verb [intransitive/transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they brown-nose he/she/it brown-noses present participle brown-nosing past tense brown-nosed past participle brown-nosed] informal, showing disapproval
to try very hard to please someone important or powerful, for example by agreeing with them all the time, in a way that annoys other people
Thesaurus: to try hard to please or impress someonesynonym
Derived Word: brown-nosing

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1.
(also brownnose) informal n. (also brown-noser) a person who acts in a grossly obsequious way
2.
v. [trans.] curry favor with (someone) by acting in such a way

academics were brown-nosing the senior faculty | [intrans.] I dedicated a book to him-I was not brown-nosing

Origin:
the assumed result of ass-kissing

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ˈbrown-nose [brown-nose brown-noses brown-nosed brown-nosing] verb intransitive (informal, disapproving)
to treat sb in authority with special respect in order to make them approve of you or treat you better

•

He got that promotion by brown-nosing.

Verb forms:

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • brown-nose — (v.) also brownnose, 1939, American English colloquial, said to be military slang originally, from BROWN (Cf. brown) + NOSE (Cf. nose) (n.), from the implication that servility is tantamount to having one s nose in the anus of the person from… …   Etymology dictionary

  • brown-nose — brown ,nose verb intransitive or transitive INFORMAL to try very hard to please someone important or powerful, for example by agreeing with them all the time, in a way that annoys other people: He had just brown nosed his way to the top. ╾ brown …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • brown-nose — /brown nohz /, v., brown nosed, brown nosing, n. Slang. v.i. 1. to curry favor; behave obsequiously. v.t. 2. to seek favors from (a person) in an obsequious manner; fawn over. n. 3. Also, brown noser. a toady; sycophant. Cf. ass kissing. [1935… …   Universalium

  • brown-nose — ☆ brown nose [broun′nōz΄ ] vt., vi. brown nosed, brown nosing [from the image of currying favor by kissing someone s buttocks] Slang to seek favor or approval from (someone) by obsequious behavior; fawn (on) n. Slang one who brown noses: also… …   English World dictionary

  • brown-nose — v [I and T] informal to try to make someone in authority like you by being very nice to them used in order to show disapproval >brown noser n >brown nosing n [U] …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • brown nose — When someone tries to make themselves popular with somebody, usually in a position of authority, especially by flattering them, they are brown nosing …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • brown-nose — brown′ nose v. nosed, nos•ing, n. Slang. 1) sts to curry favor 2) sts to seek favors from (a person) in an obsequious manner; fawn over 3) sts Also, brown′ nos er. a toady • Etymology: 1935–40 …   From formal English to slang

  • brown-nose — UK / US verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms brown nose : present tense I/you/we/they brown nose he/she/it brown noses present participle brown nosing past tense brown nosed past participle brown nosed informal, showing disapproval to try… …   English dictionary

  • brown-nose —    to flatter    Not from exposure to the sun but from the figurative proximity of your proboscis to the anal area of the object of your sycophancy:     Hungerford you missed the beginning but this is a course you can t fail so there is no need… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • brown-nose — 1. AND brownie; brown noser n. a sycophant; one who flatters for self serving motives. □ You are just a plain old brown nose. □ That brown noser actually gave the boss a bottle of wine for her birthday. 2. tv. & in. to curry favor with someone;… …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

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