<P> Adobe (US: / əˈdoʊb / (listen), UK: / əˈdoʊb /; Spanish: (aˈðoβe)) is a building material made from earth and other organic materials . Adobe means mudbrick in Spanish, but in some English - speaking regions of Spanish heritage, the term is used to refer to any kind of earth construction . Most adobe buildings are similar in appearance to cob and rammed earth buildings . Adobe is among the earliest building materials, and is used throughout the world . </P> <P> Adobe bricks are rectangular prisms small enough that they can quickly air dry individually without cracking . They can be subsequently assembled, with the application of adobe mud to bond the individual bricks into a structure . There is no standard size, with substantial variations over the years and in different regions . In some areas a popular size measured 8" inches x 4" inches x 12" inches weighing about 25 pounds; in other contexts the size is 10" x 4" x 14" weighing about 35 pounds . The maximum sizes can reach up to 100 pound; above this weight it becomes difficult to move the pieces, and it is preferably to ram the mud in situ, resulting in a different typology known as rammed earth . </P>

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