bricks and mortar
1
3.1
- noun
- /brɪks ənd ˈmɔrtər/
:
ladrillo y mortero
- Most "brick and mortar" bookstores, such as Barnes and Noble and Books-a-Million, have an online presence.
- brick-and-mortar bookstore
- brick-and-mortar school
Examples
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Yet publishers tend to price digital books far too high due to a business model with a supply chain built on bricks and mortar.
Blog text (22) -
Barry plans to turn Bohomodern's online presence into a brick-and-mortar location in the near future.
Blog text (29) -
Investment in bricks and mortar to perpetuate the segregation of people in Mathari would be an enormous mistake and a very poor investment.
Blog text (11) -
Egghead (computer parts) transitioned successfully from brick and mortar to an online store, so it's not really that the Internet has won as much as business decisions.
Blog text (29) -
The construction of the school included traditional bricks and mortar for its long-lasting durability.
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Many people prefer shopping at bricks and mortar stores where they can see and touch the products before buying.
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Investing in bricks and mortar properties can be a reliable way to build wealth over time.
Synonyms
14
2.5
A thing people use to make houses and other places to live, like wood, brick, concrete
5
3.3
Part of a building made of bricks held together with mortar
How Solid
- Specialized
5
3.7
1
3.1
13
5.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally names building materials ('bricks' and 'mortar'), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to physical, built premises rather than something virtual. The business/retail sense (physical stores or premises) is a straightforward metonymic extension of 'building', making the meaning compositionally derivable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Bricks and mortar first names the real parts of a building: hard bricks held together with wet mortar between them. That's why the phrase means 'building material'.