adobe
English meaning: Adobe
Definition
An unburnt brick dried in the sun.
Example
“Many people in Texas and New Mexico live in adobe houses.”
Another example: “The old mission church was built from thick adobe that kept it cool in summer.”
Usage — When, Where & How
A noun (also adjective) for sun-dried clay brick or the building material itself, common in the architecture of the American Southwest, Mexico and arid regions. Often used attributively ('adobe house', 'adobe walls').
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Spanish 'adobe', ultimately from Arabic 'al-ţūb' (the brick) and Coptic/Egyptian 'tobe' (brick); entered English in the 18th century via the American Southwest.
Synonyms
- adobe brick
- mud brick
- clay brick
Related Words
Common Collocations
- adobe brick
- adobe house
- adobe wall
- adobe hut
- sun-dried adobe
- adobe structure
Word Forms
adobe (n); adobes (pl)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B