briquette
UK[brɪˈkɛt]US[brɪˈkɛt]
n
a small block of compressed coal dust or charcoal used for fuel.
n
a small, often rectangular, molded block of any compressed material.
Morpheme Breakdown
briqu
ette
briqu
brick
ette
diminutive suffix
Etymology
the word 'briquette' is a direct borrowing from french, entering english in the 19th century. it is built from the french word 'brique', meaning 'brick', which itself has germanic roots, and the french diminutive suffix '-ette', indicating a small version. the term literally means 'a small brick', which perfectly describes its form as a compact, molded block of fuel. its modern usage has expanded beyond fuel to describe any small, compressed block of material, retaining the core idea of a shaped, dense unit.
Analysis
Structure: briqu (brick) + ette (diminutive suffix)
briqu is from the french word 'brique', meaning 'brick', of germanic origin. ette is a french diminutive suffix, from latin '-itta'.
Examples
we used charcoal briquettes to light the barbecue grill.
the factory recycles paper waste into dense briquettes for industrial boilers.
the artist used briquettes of compressed clay to create her sculpture.