bricks and mortar

British  

noun

1. 1. a building or buildings

      he invested in bricks and mortar rather than stocks and shares

   2. ( as modifier )

      a bricks-and-mortar fortune

2. 1. a physical business premises rather than an internet presence

   2. ( as modifier )

      bricks-and-mortar firms

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bricks and mortar Idioms  

1. Basic and essential, as in Matthew Arnold's essay (1865): “Margate, that bricks-and-mortar image of British Protestantism.” This phrase transfers essential building materials to other fundamental matters. It also may be used more literally to denote a building or buildings (whether or not made of bricks and mortar), as in The alumni prefer to see their donations in the form of bricks and mortar. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Now, the tech company is hitting back at Walmart in bricks and mortar retail, proposing to build a 225,000 square-foot store located in suburban Chicago.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

It’s not just about bricks and mortar and shelter.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025

But buildings are made of bricks and mortar and wood and concrete.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

While the old Leitch architecture gave the Goodison Park structure something unique, it also possesses something bricks and mortar simply cannot provide.

From BBC • May 18, 2025

The principle of the scaffold was that loose bricks and mortar always were at the level of the top of the wall being built.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey