Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: “to ingratiate oneself with : curry favor with”

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brownnose

Found In: “All-American Girl” by Julia Alvarez line 14 – “as brown-nosing or cries of alegria”

Explain: The word brown-nosing means to act nice or use flattery to gain favors. This helps me better understand the poem because she is saying that if being polite means brown-nosing then crying because of joy could be understood as terror or sadness.