Handmade sun-dried bricks, adobes are formed from a mixture of heavy clay and straw found in dry regions. As a building material, adobes date back thousands of years and are found in many parts of the world. Molds for shaping the bricks were brought to the New World by the Spanish. Excellent insulating properties make adobes ideal material for both dwellings and ovens; home interiors retain heat in winter and stay cool in summer. The adobe buildings at Taos, New Mexico, are typical of Native American pueblo dwellings.
Examples of adobe in a Sentence
The house was built of adobe.
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Among them, there are structures built from adobe in the arid climate of New Mexico, dwellings carved into cliffs in Colorado, churches that have been around for centuries in Puerto Rico, and a New England property that’s the oldest house with a timber frame.—Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 26 Feb. 2025 The adobe property is known for its 26 bespoke rooms, which are fancifully decorated with Silk Route artifacts.—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2025 Its white curves and misting fountains outside add something otherworldly to the earthy, adobe colors surrounding it, while the interiors are designed to reveal amazing displays as visitors make their way through the museum, floor by floor.—Sunshine Flint, AFAR Media, 13 Feb. 2025 Incorporating sage smudging, an adobe clay body mask, body wrap, and scalp and foot massage, the 110-minute treatment was one of my most refreshing spa experiences.—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for adobe
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Spanish, borrowed from Arabic aṭ-ṭūb, from al "the" + ṭūb "brick (material), bricks," borrowed from Coptic (Sahidic dialect) tôôbe, (Bohairic dialect) tôbi "brick," going back to Old Egyptian db.t
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