adobe

American  

[uh-doh-bee] / əˈdoʊ bi /

noun

1. sun-dried brick made of clay and straw, in common use in countries having little rainfall.

2. a yellow silt or clay, deposited by rivers, used to make bricks.

3. a building constructed of adobe.

4. a dark, heavy soil, containing clay.

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adobe British  

/ əˈdəʊbɪ /

noun

1. 1. a sun-dried brick used for building

   2. ( as modifier )

      an adobe house

2. a building constructed of such bricks

3. the clayey material from which such bricks are made

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Etymology

Origin of adobe

1750–60; < Spanish < Arabic al-ṭub the brick < Coptic to:o:be brick < Egyptian Demotic tb < Egyptian Hieroglyphic ḏbt

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Explanation

If you've ever visited New Mexico and noticed earthy looking buildings everywhere, chances are they're made from adobe, a type of brick that's dried in the sun. The noun adobe originates from the oral form of Arabic al-tob, meaning "the brick," which is derived from the Coptic word tube, meaning "brick." In hot, dry climates like the American Southwest, Africa, and Spain, you'll often see buildings made of adobe. The word adobe can also refer to the material that these bricks are made of. The clay, water, and straw that go into the material give the bricks a natural-looking, informal appearance.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

adobe

O’Keeffe was quite distinctive—and here at her best—in her paintings of adobe buildings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

They show O’Keeffe’s favored back view, and the beguilingly spare, almost biomorphic forms of its massive adobe buttresses, along with the subtle shadows, that make that completely understandable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Eventually, however, the lush commons became something like adobe hills.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2025

On Monday, Bagnard emailed to say it looked like her family would be moving forward with adobe after all.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2025

He recalled every detail—an oleander bush with peach-colored flowers, an adobe wall with paloverde trees draped over it, a fountain tinkling into a copper basin.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

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