bricks and mortar

noun

1. a building or buildings
  he invested in bricks and mortar rather than stocks and shares
2. ( as modifier )
  a bricks-and-mortar fortune
1. a physical business premises rather than an internet presence
2. ( as modifier )
  bricks-and-mortar firms

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Idioms and Phrases

Basic and essential, as in Matthew Arnold's essay (1865): “Margate, that bricks-and-mortar image of British Protestantism.” This phrase transfers essential building materials to other fundamental matters. It also may be used more literally to denote a building or buildings (whether or not made of bricks and mortar), as in The alumni prefer to see their donations in the form of bricks and mortar . [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Yes, CVS is a massive operator of bricks-and-mortar stores that contain pharmacies and sell cosmetics and other items.

From The Daily Beast

That means that overall holiday shopping sales can rise by a decent margin even as bricks-and-mortar sales barely budge.

From The Daily Beast

Moreover, local headquarters only give a bricks-and-mortar snapshot of local outreach.

From The Daily Beast

Word of the Day

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

Meaning and examples

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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