mortar

UK: /ˈmɔː^rtə^r/ US: /ˈmɔrtɚ/ ,(môr′tər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

mor•tar¹ /ˈmɔrtɚ/   n. [countable]

1. a bowl-shaped container in which substances can be pounded or ground with a pestle.
2. Military a very short cannon for throwing shells at high angles:
   shells from the enemy mortars.

mor•tar² /ˈmɔrtɚ/   n. [uncountable]

1. Building a mixture of lime or cement with sand and water, used to hold stones, etc., together.

v. [~ + object]

2. Building to plaster or fix with mortar.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

mor•tar¹  (môr′tər), n. 

1. a receptacle of hard material, having a bowl-shaped cavity in which substances are reduced to powder with a pestle.
2. any of various mechanical appliances in which substances are pounded or ground.
3. Military a cannon very short in proportion to its bore, for throwing shells at high angles.
4. some similar contrivance, as for throwing pyrotechnic bombs or a lifeline.

v.t., v.i. 

5. Military to attack with mortar fire or shells.

• Latin, as above; see -ar²
• Latin mortārium; in defs. 3, 4 translation of French mortier
• Middle English, Old English mortere and Old French mortier bef. 1000

mor•tar²  (môr′tər), n. 

1. Building a mixture of lime or cement or a combination of both with sand and water, used as a bonding agent between bricks, stones, etc.
2. Building any of various materials or compounds for bonding together bricks, stones, etc.:
   Bitumen was used as a mortar.

v.t. 

3. Building to plaster or fix with mortar.

• Anglo-French; Old French mortier mortar¹, hence the mixture produced in it
• Middle English morter 1250–1300

mor′tar•less, adj. 
mor′tar•y, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

mortar / ˈmɔːtə/ noun

1. a mixture of cement or lime or both with sand and water, used as a bond between bricks or stones or as a covering on a wall
2. a muzzle-loading cannon having a short barrel and relatively wide bore that fires low-velocity shells in high trajectories over a short range
3. a vessel, usually bowl-shaped, in which substances are pulverized with a pestle

verb (transitive)

1. to join (bricks or stones) or cover (a wall) with mortar
2. to fire on with mortars

Etymology: 13th Century: from Latin mortārium basin in which mortar is mixed; in some senses, via Old French mortier substance mixed inside such a vessel