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| mor·tar [ máwrtər ] |
noun (plural mor·tars) |
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| Definition: |
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1. bonding material for bricks: a mixture of sand, water, and cement or lime that becomes hard like stone. Use: in building to hold bricks and stones together.
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2. cannon: a cannon with a relatively short and wide barrel, used for firing shells at a high angle over a short distance
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3. gun firing lifeline: a gun for firing something other than a bullet, e.g. rope to somebody in need of rescue
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4. bowl for grinding: a hard heavy bowl designed to hold substances to be ground into small pieces or powder by means of a club-shaped tool pestle
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5. bowl for crushing ore: a cast-iron bowl in which ore is crushed
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transitive verb (past and past participle mor·tared, present participle mor·tar·ing, 3rd person present singular mor·tars) |
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| Definition: |
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1. fire mortar at target: to fire at somebody or something with a mortar
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2. secure materials with mortar: to hold stones and bricks together with mortar
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| [Pre-12th century. Via French mortier "bowl for mixing" < Latin mortarium "bowl, substance prepared in it"] |
