mortar

¹ American  

[mawr-ter] / ˈmɔr tər /

noun

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. 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.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to attack with mortar fire or shells.

mortar ² American  

[mawr-ter] / ˈmɔr tər /

noun

1. 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. any of various materials or compounds for bonding together bricks, stones, etc..

   Bitumen was used as a mortar.

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verb (used with object)

1. to plaster or fix with mortar.

mortar British  

/ 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 similar device for firing lifelines, fireworks, etc

4. a vessel, usually bowl-shaped, in which substances are pulverized with a pestle

5. mining a cast-iron receptacle in which ore is crushed

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verb

1. to join (bricks or stones) or cover (a wall) with mortar

2. to fire on with mortars

3. dialect to trample (on)

mortar Idioms  

1. see bricks and mortar.

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Other Word Forms

• mortarless adjective
• mortary adjective

Etymology

Origin of mortar¹

before 1000; Middle English, Old English mortere and Old French mortier < Latin mortārium; mortar ¹ ( defs. 3, 4 ) translation of French mortier < Latin, as above; -ar ²

Origin of mortar²

1250–1300; Middle English morter < Anglo-French; Old French mortier mortar ¹, hence the mixture produced in it

Example Sentences

The chart from Bank of America shows a big shift toward online shopping from bricks and mortars stores since early 2025.

From MarketWatch

Dimly, Jonah wondered how the builder had done that, how the flimsy metal mailbox wasn’t crushed by the heavy bricks and mortar.

From Literature

Mawuli plucked it, then pounded boiled palm nuts in the narrow wooden mortar to help Ma prepare the palm soup.

From Literature

It’s not just about bricks and mortar and shelter.

From Los Angeles Times

Coolidge concluded by echoing a historian’s judgment that “Hebraic mortar cemented the foundations of American democracy.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cannon
• handgun
• hardware
• piece
• pistol
• revolver
• rifle
• shotgun