noun
Uncommon
adobe
uh-DOH-bee
Adobe (noun) means a brick made from mud or clay and dried hard in the sun rather than fired in a kiln. Example: “The old mission was built from thousands of adobe bricks.”
noun
1
A brick made from mud or clay and dried hard in the sun rather than fired in a kiln.
"The old mission was built from thousands of adobe bricks."
"Workers stacked the adobe out in the yard to dry."
"Adobe has been used as a building material for centuries in dry climates."
2
The clay-rich earth from which such bricks are made.
"They mixed straw into the adobe before shaping it into bricks."
"The riverbank supplied plenty of adobe for the village."
"Adobe dries hard when left out in the sun."
3
A house or other building constructed from adobe bricks.
"The old adobe sits at the edge of town."
"They restored a nineteenth-century adobe near Santa Fe."
"Thick walls keep an adobe cool in summer."
How to use adobe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sun-dried mud brick, or a building made from them.
When to use it
The word is used in everyday building and architectural contexts, especially in dry, sun-baked climates.
Memory tip
Adobe bricks are dried by the sun, not baked in a kiln, which is what sets them apart from fired brick.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
adobe brick
adobe house
adobe walls
built of adobe
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The old mission was built from thousands of _____ bricks.
Etymology
The available source material does not give the word's origin, so no etymology can be stated here with confidence.
Synonyms
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mudbrick
Rhymes for adobe
See all rhymes for adobe →Frequently asked questions
What is adobe?
It is a sun-dried brick made from mud or clay, and by extension, the earth used to make it or a building built from it.
Is adobe the same as mudbrick?
Yes, mudbrick is a well-established synonym for adobe.
Why is adobe used in dry climates?
Because it is sun-dried rather than fired, adobe suits places with little rain, where the bricks can dry out properly and stay strong.
What is the meaning of adobe?
"adobe" (noun) means a brick made from mud or clay and dried hard in the sun rather than fired in a kiln.
