Advertisement
Advertisement
bricks and mortar
noun
- a building or buildings
he invested in bricks and mortar rather than stocks and shares
- ( as modifier )
a bricks-and-mortar fortune
- a physical business premises rather than an internet presence
- ( as modifier )
bricks-and-mortar firms
Discover More
Idioms and Phrases
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]Advertisement
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse