Mortar

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɔː(r)tÉ™(r)
• UK IPA: /ˈmɔːtɘ(ɹ)/

Origin

From Old French mortier, from Latin mortarium.

Full definition of mortar

Noun

1. (uncountable) A mixture of lime or cement, sand and water used for bonding bricks and stones.
2. (countable, military) A muzzle-loading, indirect fire weapon with a tube length of 10 to 20 calibers and designed to lob shells at very steep trajectories.
3. (countable) A hollow vessel used to pound, crush, rub, grind or mix ingredients with a pestle.

Derived terms

• mortarboard

Verb

1. To use mortar or plaster to join two things together.
2. To fire a mortar (weapon)

Related terms

• bricks and mortar