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

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

Instead they encountered Hawikku, an adobe pueblo in what is now western New Mexico.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

For decades, her adobe dwelling hosted waves of grandchildren and great-grandchildren as sons and daughters went back and forth, entrusting expanding broods to the matriarch.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2025

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

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2025

Last Sunday, though, the family took a second tour of an adobe home in South Pasadena.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2025

The road dropped into the flat valley and revealed the adobe houses of the peaceful village.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya