mortar

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A paste of cement, sand and water that holds bricks or stones together as it dries.

   The builder spread mortar between the bricks to hold them in place.

2. 2
   noun

   A hard bowl in which you crush and grind things like spices using a small heavy stick called a pestle.

   She ground the garlic and herbs in a mortar with a pestle.

3. 3
   noun

   A short, heavy gun that fires shells high into the air over a short distance.

   The soldiers fired a mortar over the enemy lines.

4. 4
   verb

   To attack a place or person with a mortar gun.

   The insurgents mortared the base during the night.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Mortar comes from Latin mortarium, a vessel used with a pestle for grinding. The building material, recorded from the mid-13th century, probably received the same name because its ingredients were ground, while the short, broad gun was named in the mid-16th century for its resemblance to the vessel.

From Middle English morter, from Old French mortier, from Latin mortārium. Doublet of mortarium.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary