molcajete

[ mohl-kuh-he-tey ]

noun

, Mexican Cooking.

1. a mortar and pestle set that is usually made of basalt or other roughly textured volcanic rock, and is used to grind and mix food.

Word History and Origins

Origin of molcajete¹

First recorded in 1905–10; from Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl mōlcaxitl, mulcazitl, from mōlli “something ground,” also “gravy, sauce” ( guacamole, mole ⁶( def ) ) + caxitl “bowl, cup, vessel”