adobe

noun

ado·​be ə-ˈdō-bē 

1

: a brick or building material of sun-dried earth and straw

2

: a structure made of adobe bricks

3

: a heavy clay used in making adobe bricks

broadly : alluvial or playa clay in desert or arid regions

adobelike

ə-ˈdō-bē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Illustration of adobe

• adobe 2

Did you know?

Handmade sun-dried bricks, adobes are formed from a mixture of heavy clay and straw found in dry regions. As a building material, adobes date back thousands of years and are found in many parts of the world. Molds for shaping the bricks were brought to the New World by the Spanish. Excellent insulating properties make adobes ideal material for both dwellings and ovens; home interiors retain heat in winter and stay cool in summer. The adobe buildings at Taos, New Mexico, are typical of Native American pueblo dwellings.

Examples of adobe in a Sentence

The house was built of adobe.

Recent Examples on the Web

Its white curves and misting fountains outside add something otherworldly to the earthy, adobe colors surrounding it, while the interiors are designed to reveal amazing displays as visitors make their way through the museum, floor by floor. —Sunshine Flint, AFAR Media, 13 Feb. 2025

Incorporating sage smudging, an adobe clay body mask, body wrap, and scalp and foot massage, the 110-minute treatment was one of my most refreshing spa experiences. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2024

The adobe village of Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, has been continuously inhabited for over 600 years. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 17 Jan. 2025

Lodging options include adobe suites with hammocks on the patios or restored vintage trailers. —Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Spanish, borrowed from Arabic aṭ-ṭūb, from al "the" + ṭūb "brick (material), bricks," borrowed from Coptic (Sahidic dialect) tôôbe, (Bohairic dialect) tôbi "brick," going back to Old Egyptian db.t

First Known Use

1748, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

adobe

noun

ado·​be ə-ˈdō-bē 

1

: a brick or building material made of a sun-dried mixture of earth and straw

2

: a building made of adobe bricks

Etymology

Spanish