brick-and-mortar

adjective

brick-and-mor·​tar ˈbrik-ən(d)-ˈmȯr-tər 

variants or bricks-and-mortar

: relating to or being a traditional business serving customers in a building as contrasted to an online business

a brick-and-mortar store

Examples of brick-and-mortar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Specifically, nacre is composed of hexagonal crystals of aragonite, a kind of calcium carbonate that is also seen in limestone and that forms precisely into overlapping layers that resemble the brick-and-mortar structure of buildings. —Caitlin Kennedy, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2026

Bed Bath & Beyond closed its 360 brick-and-mortar locations in 2023 after filing for bankruptcy. —Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026

Still, the brick-and-mortar business suffered. —Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026

What started as a stall at the Brooklyn Flea is now a beloved Fort Worth brick-and-mortar shop, bursting with greenery and plenty of character. —Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brick-and-mortar

• colporteur
• exporter
• headquarter
• importer
• reporter
• supporter
• transporter
• mortar
• quarter
• shorter
• sorter