adobe

noun

ado·​be ə-ˈdō-bē How to pronounce adobe (audio)
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 adjective

Illustration of adobe

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 The preserve includes an 1823 adobe ranch house, remnants of another adobe and a waterfall. San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Oct. 2023 The rust and adobe tones used as accents in the dining and formal living rooms were inspired by the artwork that hangs above the marble table. Maria L. La Ganga, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 The Pueblo has been inhabited for more than a millennium, and many of the adobe structures appear the same as when the Spanish first arrived in New Mexico in the 1500s. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 1 Jan. 2024 That was a directive from Anderson himself, who wanted to avoid buildings made out of adobe or other natural materials. Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023 The adobe became a museum for a while, was sold to the city and then sold back to the archdiocese. Yvonne Condes, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023 Their spa menu, with treatments like a Moisture Drench Facial and an adobe clay cocoon massage—is designed to complement the experience of the high desert. Alexandra Malmed, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023 Naranjo, 86, hasn’t laid the first adobe brick of a replacement home, hammered a fence post or planted a single tree. Patrick Lohmann, ProPublica, 28 Sep. 2023 Along with about 250 other missionaries, Smith spent his days in Cochabamba teaching English classes, making adobe bricks used for building homes, and working in corn fields and orphanages. Michal Lev-Ram, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adobe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of adobe was in 1748

Dictionary Entries Near adobe

Cite this Entry

“Adobe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adobe. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

adobe

noun
ado·​be ə-ˈdō-bē How to pronounce adobe (audio)
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

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