adobe

[ uh-doh-bee ]

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.

adobe

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of adobe¹

1750–60; Americanism; < Spanish < Arabic al-ṭub the brick < Coptic to:o:be brick < Egyptian Demotic tb < Egyptian Hieroglyphic ḏbt

Word History and Origins

Origin of adobe¹

C19: from Spanish

Example Sentences

A Los Angeles Times account from 1983 referred to the house, tongue in cheek, as “the adobe equivalent of Lincoln’s log cabin,” noting how Fernando fanatics flocked to the site, even breaching the wire perimeter to peer inside the windows.

From Los Angeles Times

His parents, Avelino and Emergilda, and his six brothers and five sisters lived in a whitewashed adobe house with five rooms and no running water in a community that during Valenzuela’s youth consisted of a few dirt roads and had a population of 140.

From Los Angeles Times

The FTC said Adobe had failed to clearly disclose its terms to customers, including the year-long length of a subscription and charges that would be triggered for cancelling early.

From BBC

Adobe has disputed the allegations.

From BBC

The FTC has also taken legal action against software giant Adobe for similar reasons.

From BBC