Meanings
nounmortar (countable and uncountable, plural mortars)
plural mortars · alternative archaic morter
- uncountableA mixture of lime or cement, sand and water used for bonding building blocks.
The holy hearth! If any earthly and material thing, or rather a divine idea embodied in brick and mortar, might be supposed to possess the permanence of moral truth, it was this.
1846, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Fire Worship”, in Mosses from an Old Manse - countableA hollow vessel used to pound, crush, rub, grind or mix ingredients with a pestle.
Synonyms: mortar and pestle, pestle and mortar
- countablehistoricalgovernmentA short, heavy, large-bore cannon designed for indirect fire at very steep trajectories.
- countablegovernmentA relatively lightweight, often portable indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate and is designed to lob explosive shells at very steep trajectories.First known use 20th c.
- countableIn paper milling, a trough in which material is hammered.
verbmortar (third-person singular simple present mortars, present participle mortaring, simple past and past participle mortared)
present singular third person mortars · participle present mortaring · participle past mortared · past mortared · alternative archaic morter
- transitiveTo pound in a mortar.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA hollow vessel used to pound, crush, rub, grind or mix ingredients with a pestle.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires shells at high elevations for a short range
Similar
Broader
high-angle gun
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinmortārium
- Old Frenchmortier
- Middle Englishmorter
- Englishmortar
From Middle English morter, from Old French mortier, from Latin mortārium. Doublet of mortarium.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans mortier, vysel
- mortiermixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- vyselvessel used to grind ingredients
Ancient Greek ἴγδις, θυεία
- ἴγδις (ígdis)vessel used to grind ingredients
- θυεία (thueía)vessel used to grind ingredients
Arabic مِلَاط, مِهْرَاس
- مِلَاط (milāṭ)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- مِهْرَاس (mihrās)vessel used to grind ingredients
- هَاوُن (hāwun)vessel used to grind ingredients
- جُرْن (jurn)vessel used to grind ingredients
- نِجْر (nijr)vessel used to grind ingredients
- هَاوُن (hāwun)short, heavy, large-bore cannon
- مِدْفَعُ الهَاوُن (midfaʕu l-hāwun)short, heavy, large-bore cannon
- هَاوُن (hāwun)lightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Bulgarian хороса́н, хава́н
- хороса́н (horosán)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- хава́н (haván)vessel used to grind ingredients
- морти́ра (mortíra)short, heavy, large-bore cannon
- минохвърга́чка (minohvărgáčka)lightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Catalan morter, argamassa
- mortermixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- argamassamixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mortervessel used to grind ingredients
- mortershort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- morterlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Chinese Mandarin 灰泥, 砂漿 /砂浆
- 灰泥 (huīní)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- 砂漿 /砂浆 (shājiāng)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- 研缽 /研钵 (yánbō)vessel used to grind ingredients
- 臼 (jiù)vessel used to grind ingredients
- 迫击炮 (pǎijīpào)short, heavy, large-bore cannon
- 臼炮 (jiùpào)short, heavy, large-bore cannon
- 迫擊砲 /迫击炮 (pǎijīpào)lightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Czech malta, hmoždíř
- maltamixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- hmoždířvessel used to grind ingredients
- moždířvessel used to grind ingredients
- moždířshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- minometlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Danish mørtel, morter
- mørtelmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mortershort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- mortérshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
Dutch specie, mortel
- speciemixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mortelmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- vijzelvessel used to grind ingredients
- mortiervessel used to grind ingredients
- mortiershort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- mortierlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Esperanto mortero, pistujo
- morteromixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- pistujovessel used to grind ingredients
- bombokanonoshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
Estonian mört, miinipilduja
- mörtmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- miinipildujalightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Finnish laasti, huhmar
- laastimixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- huhmarvessel used to grind ingredients
- morttelivessel used to grind ingredients
- mörssärishort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- kranaatinheitinlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
- heitinlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
French mortier, mortier
- mortiermixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mortiervessel used to grind ingredients
- mortiershort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- mortierlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
German Mörtel, Mauermörtel
- Mörtelmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- Mauermörtelmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- Mörservessel used to grind ingredients
- Mörsershort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- Mörserlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
- Granatwerferlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Greek κονίαμα, γουδί
- κονίαμα (koníama)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- γουδί (goudí)vessel used to grind ingredients
Hebrew מֶלֶט, מכתש
- מֶלֶט (melet)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- מכתש (makhtesh)vessel used to grind ingredients
- מרגמה (margema)lightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Hindi मसाला, ओखली
- मसाला (masālā)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- ओखली (okhlī)vessel used to grind ingredients
Hungarian habarcs, malter
- habarcsmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- maltermixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- vakolatmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mozsárvessel used to grind ingredients
- mozsárágyúshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- mozsárshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- aknavetőlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Indonesian mortar, spesi
- mortarmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- spesimixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mortarvessel used to grind ingredients
- cobekvessel used to grind ingredients
- mortirlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Irish moirtéal, moirtéar
- moirtéalmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- moirtéarvessel used to grind ingredients
Italian malta, mortaio
- maltamixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mortaiovessel used to grind ingredients
- mortaioshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- mortaiolightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Japanese モルタル, すり鉢
- モルタル (morutaru)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- すり鉢 (suribachi)vessel used to grind ingredients
- 擂り鉢 (suribachi)vessel used to grind ingredients
- 臼 (usu)vessel used to grind ingredients
- 乳鉢 (nyūbachi)vessel used to grind ingredients
- 迫撃砲 (hakugekihō)lightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Korean 모르타르, 방아확
- 모르타르 (moreutareu)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- 방아확 (bang'ahwak)vessel used to grind ingredients
- 절구 (jeolgu)vessel used to grind ingredients
- 유발 (yubal)vessel used to grind ingredients
- 박격포 (bakgyeokpo)lightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Latin mortārium, pīsō
- mortāriummixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- pīsōvessel used to grind ingredients
- mortāriumvessel used to grind ingredients
- mortāriumshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
Latvian java, piesta
- javamixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- piestavessel used to grind ingredients
- mīnmetējslightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Lithuanian skiedinys, minosvaidis
- skiedinysmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- minosvaidisshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- minosvaidislightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Malay lesung
- lesungvessel used to grind ingredients
Māori oko, mōtā
- okovessel used to grind ingredients
- mōtāshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- moatāshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- mōtālightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
- moatālightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Norwegian bombekaster
- bombekasterlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Norwegian Bokmål mørtel, morter
- mørtelmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mortervessel used to grind ingredients
Persian ملات, ساروج
- ملات (malât)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- ساروج (sâruj)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- هاون (hâvan)vessel used to grind ingredients
Polish zaprawa, moździerz
- zaprawamixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- moździerzvessel used to grind ingredients
- stępavessel used to grind ingredients
- moździerzshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- moździerzlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Portuguese argamassa, massa
- argamassamixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- massamixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- rebocomixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- almofarizvessel used to grind ingredients
- morteirovessel used to grind ingredients
- gralvessel used to grind ingredients
- pilãovessel used to grind ingredients
- morteiroshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- morteirolightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Romanian mortar, piuliță
- mortarmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- piulițăvessel used to grind ingredients
- piuăvessel used to grind ingredients
- mojarvessel used to grind ingredients
- mortiershort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- mortierlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Russian раство́р, сту́па
- раство́р (rastvór)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- сту́па (stúpa)vessel used to grind ingredients
- сту́пка (stúpka)vessel used to grind ingredients
- морти́ра (mortíra)short, heavy, large-bore cannon
- миномёт (minomjót)lightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Slovak malta, mažiar
- maltamixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mažiarvessel used to grind ingredients
- mažiarshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- mínometlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Spanish mortero, argamasa
- morteromixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- argamasamixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- morterovessel used to grind ingredients
- almirezvessel used to grind ingredients
- pilónvessel used to grind ingredients
- molcajetevessel used to grind ingredients
- morteroshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- morterolightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Swahili kinu
- kinuvessel used to grind ingredients
Swedish murbruk, mortel
- murbrukmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mortelvessel used to grind ingredients
- mörsareshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- granatkastarelightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Tagalog lusong
- lusongvessel used to grind ingredients
Tamil காரை, கல்வம்
- காரை (kārai)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- கல்வம் (kalvam)vessel used to grind ingredients
- உரல் (ural)vessel used to grind ingredients
Thai ปูน, ครก
- ปูน (bpuun)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- ครก (krók)vessel used to grind ingredients
- โกร่ง (gròong)vessel used to grind ingredients
- ปืนครก (bpʉʉn-krók)lightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Turkish harç, havan
- harçmixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- havanvessel used to grind ingredients
- havanshort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- havan topushort, heavy, large-bore cannon
- havanlightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
- havan topulightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Ukrainian будіве́льний ро́зчин, сту́па
- будіве́льний ро́зчин (budivélʹnyj rózčyn)mixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- сту́па (stúpa)vessel used to grind ingredients
- морти́ра (mortýra)short, heavy, large-bore cannon
- мущи́р (muščýr)short, heavy, large-bore cannon
- міноме́т (minomét)lightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate
Urdu اوکھلی
- اوکھلی (okhlī)vessel used to grind ingredients
Vietnamese vữa, cối
- vữamixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- cốivessel used to grind ingredients
Welsh morter, morter
- mortermixture of lime or cement, sand and water
- mortervessel used to grind ingredients
Yiddish שטייסל, מערזשער
- שטייסל (shteysl)vessel used to grind ingredients
- מערזשער (merzher)vessel used to grind ingredients
- סטופּע (stupe)vessel used to grind ingredients
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with mortar
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
mortar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mortar
MLA
“mortar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mortar. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mortar,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mortar.
Source: mortar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.