pestle

[ pes-uhl, pes-tl ]

/ ˈpɛs əl, ˈpɛs tl /

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noun

a tool for pounding or grinding substances in a mortar.

any of various appliances for pounding, stamping, etc.

verb (used with object), pes·tled, pes·tling.

to pound or grind with or as if with a pestle.

verb (used without object), pes·tled, pes·tling.

to work with a pestle.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of pestle

1300–50; Middle English pestel<Middle French <Latin pistillum, derivative of pistus, past participle of pīnsere to pound, crush

Words nearby pestle

pesticide, pestiferous, pestilence, pestilent, pestilential, pestle, pesto, pesty, pet, peta-, petabyte

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pestle in a sentence

You can use a mortar and pestle or give the seeds a quick blitz with a grinder.
When the mustard shortage hits, make your own|Sandra Gutierrez G.|July 30, 2022|Popular-Science
It was an attractive form of waste, so the team gathered droppings from a nearby farm, ground them into powder with a mortar and pestle and cooked them up—dry, wet, varied temperature, and so on.
Turkey and chicken poop have untapped energy potential|Lina Zeldovich|November 25, 2021|Popular-Science
She broke open two heads of garlic, smashed the cloves in a mortar and pestle then dumped in spoonfuls of salt mixed with dried oregano and a Puerto Rican spice mix called adobo.
Puerto Rican pernil is a standout Thanksgiving roast. Just guard that crispy skin.|Monti Carlo|November 18, 2021|Washington Post
While waiting for the water to boil, in a mortar with a pestle, pound the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon until roughly ground.
Shaah, a sweet and spiced Somali chai, is just the thing for your afternoon tea break|Ifrah F. Ahmed|October 29, 2021|Washington Post

Blend them together in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, working in batches, if needed.
This veggie jollof recipe with Ghanaian roots is a great way to appreciate the West African staple|Becky Krystal|September 2, 2021|Washington Post
All are thrown into a wooden bowl and beaten with a pestle into a colorful plate of food.
The World’s Five Best Cheap Meals|Jodi Ettenberg|November 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
So if you have high-quality saffron, you should feel free to grind it yourself with a mortar and pestle.
In Search of the $10,000 Spice|Sarah Whitman-Salkin|July 14, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Put the spices into a pestle and mortar and pound them up with a pinch of salt.
Butternut Squash, Plus Some Celeriac|The Daily Beast|November 25, 2008|DAILY BEAST
Jack having overpowered her seized her by the hair and beat Baba Yaga with her own pestle.
The Story of Yvashka with the Bear's Ear|Anonymous
F'r all ye know, it may be a short note to th' dhruggist askin' him to hit ye on th' head with a pestle.
Mr. Dooley Says|Finley Dunne
I leaped at him and struck him a glancing blow with the heavy wooden pestle.
The Fire People|Ray Cummings
"I do not need advice from you," he growled, his wrinkled fingers grinding the rock pestle savagely against the bowl's contents.
Warrior of the Dawn|Howard Carleton Browne
She had got into the habit of relieving herself by an audible gasp each time she drove the pestle down.
The Middy and the Moors|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for pestle

pestle

/ (ˈpɛsəl) /

noun

a club-shaped instrument for mixing or grinding substances in a mortar

a tool for pounding or stamping

verb

to pound (a substance or object) with or as if with a pestle

Word Origin for pestle

C14: from Old French pestel, from Latin pistillum; related to pinsāre to crush

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pestle

Origin of pestle

Words nearby pestle

Words related to pestle

How to use pestle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pestle

Word Origin for pestle