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

Example Sentences

He’s even selfishly hoarded toilet paper in his fancy adobe estate.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2025

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

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2025

Loescher co-founded Adobeisnotsoftware, which seeks to advance adobe construction in California through education and advocacy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2025

Hackman was a lover of the arts and a painter himself, so he fit in well: Santa Fe is known for its iconic adobe architecture and is home to more than 250 galleries.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2025

Then they were in sagebrush again, barreling along with the windows rolled up against the adobe dust that enveloped their vehicle.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols