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

Explanation

If you've ever visited New Mexico and noticed earthy looking buildings everywhere, chances are they're made from adobe, a type of brick that's dried in the sun. The noun adobe originates from the oral form of Arabic al-tob, meaning "the brick," which is derived from the Coptic word tube, meaning "brick." In hot, dry climates like the American Southwest, Africa, and Spain, you'll often see buildings made of adobe. The word adobe can also refer to the material that these bricks are made of. The clay, water, and straw that go into the material give the bricks a natural-looking, informal appearance.

Example Sentences

Their adobe color blends so seamlessly into the landscape that you could speed by them without much notice.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Instead they encountered Hawikku, an adobe pueblo in what is now western New Mexico.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

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

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2025

A wealthy resident, Bernhard Hoffmann, not only bought and restored the historic adobe Casa de la Guerra downtown, Rech said, but bought property next to it and built a complex of shops called El Paseo.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2025

People stayed at Ricardo’s house, at what was left of Amarante’s and Betita’s adobe, and some commuted from Sally’s in Dona Luz.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols