Quantcast
 
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

brown-nose

 - 3 dictionary results

brown-nose

[broun-nohz] verb, -nosed, -nos⋅ing, noun Slang.
–verb (used without object)
1. to curry favor; behave obsequiously.
–verb (used with object)
2. to seek favors from (a person) in an obsequious manner; fawn over.
–noun
3. Also, brown-noser. a toady; sycophant.
Compare ass-kissing.


Origin:
1935–40; brown + nose
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To brown-nose
brown·nose or brown-nose   (broun'nōz')   
tr.v.   brown·nosed or brown-nosed, brown·nos·ing or brown-nos·ing, brown·nos·es or brown-nos·es Informal
To curry favor with in an obsequious manner; fawn on.

[From the image of an obsequious person whose nose becomes soiled in kissing the rump of someone from whom favor is sought.]
brown'nose' n., brown'nos'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
brown-nose

  1. n.
    and brownie; brown-noser. a sycophant; one who flatters for self-serving motives. : You are just a plain old brown-nose. , Will some brown-noser please try to get the teacher to put off the test?
  2. tv. & in.
    to curry favor with someone; to be a sycophant. : Don keeps brown-nosing, and the professor pretends not to notice.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see brown-nose on Thesaurus | Reference