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

Aptly christened Whimsy Farms, the classic farmhouse-style adobe offers five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and just the right amount of whimsy. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 July 2025

Standout sites include the galleries of Canyon Road and the Railyard farmers’ market, both of which make this adobe oasis a location that simply could not exist anywhere else. —Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025

Tierra Atacama first debuted in this remote region of northern Chile in 2008, repurposing age-old adobe mud walls within a modern design spearheaded by Chilean architects Rodrigo Searle and Matías González. —Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

The board has considered various upgrades for the horse-keeping facilities, a dog park, developing a historic park with a multi-use community barn and a more dedicated restoration of the adobe. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 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

Rhymes for adobe

• obie
• toby

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