mortar

See also: mortâr and mörtar

English

Three bricks held together with mortar (sense 1).

A mid-19th century naval mortar (sense 3).

A mid-20th century infantry mortar (sense 4).

Mortar and pestle (sense 2).

Alternative forms

• morter (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English morter, from Old French mortier, from Latin mortārium. Doublet of mortarium.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɔːtə(ɹ)/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)tə(ɹ)

Noun

mortar (countable and uncountable, plural mortars)

1. (uncountable) A mixture of lime or cement, sand and water used for bonding building blocks.
   • 1846, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Fire Worship”, in Mosses from an Old Manse:

     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.

2. (countable) A hollow vessel used to pound, crush, rub, grind or mix ingredients with a pestle.

   Synonyms: mortar and pestle, pestle and mortar

3. (countable, military, historical) A short, heavy, large-bore cannon designed for indirect fire at very steep trajectories.
4. (countable, military) A 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. [from 20th c.]
5. (countable) In paper milling, a trough in which material is hammered.

Derived terms

• brick and mortar
• brick-and-mortar
• bricks-and-mortar
• clicks and mortar
• diamond mortar
• life mortar
• lime mortar
• mortar and pestle
• mortarboard
• mortar hoe
• pestle and mortar
• trench mortar

 

Descendants

• → Indonesian: mortar

Translations

mixture of lime or cement, sand and water

• Arabic: مِلَاط m (milāṭ)
• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܡܠܴܛܳܐ m (mlāṭā)

• Armenian: շաղախ (hy) (šaġax), կրաշաղախ (hy) (krašaġax) (lime mortar)

  Middle Armenian: կաղջին (kaġǰin)

  Old Armenian: շաղախ (šałax), տաղախ (tałax)

• Asturian: morteru m
• Belarusian: раство́р m (rastvór)
• Bulgarian: хороса́н (bg) m (horosán)
• Catalan: morter (ca) m, argamassa (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 灰泥 (zh) (huīní), 砂漿／砂浆 (zh) (shājiāng)

• Czech: malta (cs) f
• Danish: mørtel (da)
• Dutch: specie (nl) f, mortel (nl) m
• Esperanto: mortero
• Estonian: mört
• Finnish: laasti (fi)
• French: mortier (fr) m
• Galician: masa (gl) f, argamasa (gl) f, morteiro (gl) m, brónica f, recebo m, cal (gl) f
• Georgian: კირდუღაბი (ḳirduɣabi)
• German: Mörtel (de) m, Mauermörtel m
• Greek: κονίαμα (el) n (koníama)
• Hebrew: מֶלֶט (he) m (melet)
• Hindi: मसाला (hi) m (masālā)
• Hungarian: habarcs (hu), malter (hu), vakolat (hu)
• Ido: mortero (io)
• Indonesian: mortar (id)
• Irish: moirtéal m
• Italian: malta (it) f
• Japanese: モルタル (ja) (morutaru)
• Korean: 모르타르 (moreutareu)
• Lao: ປູນ (pūn)
• Latin: mortārium n
• Latvian: java f
• Lithuanian: skiedinys m
• Macedonian: ма́лтер m (málter)
• Maltese: tajn tat-tikħil m
• Norman: mortchi m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mørtel m

• Occitan: mortièr (oc) m
• Persian: ملات (fa) (malât), ساروج (fa) (sâruj)
• Polish: zaprawa (pl) f
• Portuguese: argamassa (pt) f, massa (pt) f, reboco (pt) m
• Romanian: mortar (ro) n
• Russian: (строительный, цементный) раство́р (ru) m (rastvór)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: малтер f, морт m

  Roman: malter (sh) m, mort (sh) m

• Slovak: malta f
• Slovene: malta (sl) f
• Spanish: mortero (es) m, argamasa (es) f
• Swedish: murbruk (sv) n
• Thai: ปูน (th) (bpuun)
• Turkish: harç (tr)
• Turkmen: suwag, laý
• Ukrainian: будіве́льний ро́зчин m (budivélʹnyj rózčyn)
• Vietnamese: vữa (vi)
• Welsh: morter m
• Zazaki: xerc m

short, heavy, large-bore cannon

• Albanian: please add this translation if you can
• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: հրասանդ (hy) (hrasand)
• Belarusian: марці́ра f (marcíra)
• Bulgarian: морти́ра f (mortíra)
• Catalan: morter (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Czech: moždíř (cs) m
• Danish: morter (da), mortér (da)
• Dutch: mortier (nl) m or n
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Estonian: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: mörssäri (fi)
• French: mortier (fr) m
• Galician: morteiro (gl) m
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Mörser (de) m
• Hungarian: mozsárágyú (hu), mozsár (hu)
• Indonesian: please add this translation if you can
• Italian: mortaio (it) m
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: hawin (ku)

• Latin: mortārium n
• Latvian: please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can
• Maltese: murtal m
• Maori: mōtā, moatā
• Norman: mortchi m
• Norwegian: please add this translation if you can
• Persian: ^{(please verify)} کماره (kamâre), ^{(please verify)} منداغان (mandâğân)
• Polish: moździerz (pl) m inan
• Portuguese: morteiro (pt)
• Romanian: mortier (ro) n
• Russian: морти́ра (ru) f (mortíra)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: мерзер m

  Roman: merzer (sh) m

• Slovak: mažiar m
• Slovene: možnar (sl) m
• Spanish: mortero (es) m
• Swedish: mörsare (sv) c
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: havan (tr), havan topu (tr)
• Ukrainian: морти́ра f (mortýra), мущи́р m (muščýr)
• Zazaki: hawane m

lightweight indirect fire weapon which transmits recoil to a base plate

• Albanian: please add this translation if you can
• Arabic: هَاوُن m (hāwun)
• Armenian: ականանետ (hy) (akananet)
• Belarusian: мінамёт m (minamjót)
• Bulgarian: минохвърга́чка f (minohvǎrgáčka)
• Catalan: morter (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 迫擊砲／迫击炮 (zh) (pǎijīpào)

• Czech: minomet (cs) m
• Dutch: mortier (nl) m or n
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Estonian: miinipilduja
• Finnish: kranaatinheitin (fi), heitin (fi)
• French: mortier (fr) m
• Galician: morteiro (gl) m
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Mörser (de) m, Granatwerfer (de) m
• Hebrew: מרגמה (he) m (margema)
• Hungarian: aknavető (hu)
• Indonesian: mortir (id)
• Italian: mortaio (it) m
• Japanese: 迫撃砲 (はくげきほう, hakugekihō)
• Korean: 박격포(迫撃砲) (ko) (bakgyeokpo)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: hawin (ku)

• Latvian: mīnmetējs (lv) m
• Lithuanian: minosvaidis m
• Macedonian: минофр́лач m (minofŕlač), минофр́лачка f (minofŕlačka)
• Maltese: murtal m
• Maori: mōtā, moatā
• Norman: mortchi m
• Norwegian: bombekaster m
• Persian: ^{(please verify)} کماره (kamâre), ^{(please verify)} منداغان (mandâğân)
• Polish: moździerz (pl) m inan
• Portuguese: morteiro (pt)
• Romanian: mortier (ro) n
• Russian: миномёт (ru) m (minomjót)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: минобацач m

  Roman: minobacač (sh) m

• Slovak: mínomet m
• Slovene: minomet m
• Spanish: mortero (es) m
• Swedish: granatkastare (sv) c
• Thai: ปืนครก (th) (bpʉʉn-krók)
• Turkish: havan (tr), havan topu (tr)
• Ukrainian: міноме́т m (minomét)
• Zazaki: hawane m

vessel used to grind ingredients

• Ainu: ニース (nīsu)
• Akkadian: 𒄑𒄤 (/⁠esittu⁠/), 𒈠𒁖𒆪 (/⁠madakku⁠/), 𒌨𒍮 (/⁠urṣu⁠/), 𒈠𒆹𒌅 (/⁠masūktu⁠/)
• Aklanon: eusong
• Arabic: مِهْرَاس m (mihrās), هَاوُن m (hāwun), جُرْن m (jurn), نِجْر m (nijr)

  Egyptian Arabic: جرن m (gurn)

• Aragonese: almirete m
• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܐܷܣܺܬ݁ܐ m (ʾesittā), ܡܕܳܟ݂ܬܴܐ m (mḏāḵtā)

• Armenian: սանդ (hy) (sand), հավան (hy) (havan), հավանգ (hy) (havang)

  Middle Armenian: հաւան (hawan)

  Old Armenian: սանդ (sand), անկան (ankan)

• Assamese: খুন্দনা (khundona)
• Asturian: morteru m
• Azerbaijani: həvəng, həvəngdəstə
• Bashkir: киле (kile)
• Belarusian: сту́па f (stúpa)
• Bengali: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: хава́н (bg) m (haván)
• Canela: cahuw
• Catalan: morter (ca) m
• Cebuano: lusong
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 研缽／研钵 (zh) (yánbō), 臼 (zh) (jiù)

• Classical Nahuatl: mōlcaxitl
• Czech: hmoždíř m, moždíř (cs) m
• Dhivehi: please add this translation if you can
• Dongxiang: duiwo
• Dutch: vijzel (nl) m, mortier (nl) m or n
• Esperanto: pistujo
• Ewe: to
• Finnish: huhmar (fi), mortteli (fi)
• French: mortier (fr) m
• Friulian: mortâr m, pile f
• Galician: morteiro (gl) m, armidés m, almofariz m, cacirete m, machaduro m
• German: Mörser (de) m
• Greek: γουδί (el) n (goudí)

  Ancient: ἴγδις f (ígdis), θυεία f (thueía)

• Hebrew: מכתש (he) m (makhtesh)
• Higaonon: lusung
• Hindi: ओखली (hi) f (okhlī)
• Hungarian: mozsár (hu)
• Indonesian: mortar (id), cobek (id)
• Iranun: please add this translation if you can
• Irish: moirtéar m
• Italian: mortaio (it) m
• Japanese: すり鉢 (すりばち, suribachi), 擂り鉢 (ja) (すりばち, suribachi), 臼 (ja) (うす, usu), 乳鉢 (ja) (にゅうばち, nyūbachi)
• Jeju: 방엣혹 (bang'ethok)
• Kapampangan: asung
• Kayapó: kawa
• Kazakh: келі (kelı)
• Khmer: ត្បាល់ (km) (tbal)
• Korean: 방아확 (bang'ahwak), 절구 (jeolgu), (small-sized) 유발(乳鉢) (ko) (yubal)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ھاوان (hawan), ئاوان (awan), ئاوِنگ (awing)

  Laki: ھەوەنگ (heweng)

  Southern Kurdish: ھاوِن (hawin), ھاوِنگ (hawing)

• Latin: pīsō m, mortārium n
• Latvian: piesta f
• Macedonian: а́ван m (ávan)
• Maguindanao: lesung
• Malay: lesung
• Maori: oko (mi)
• Maranao: lesong
• Minangkabau: lasuang (min)
• Mongolian: уур (mn) (uur)
• Ngazidja Comorian: shino class 7/8
• Norman: mortchi m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: morter m

  Nynorsk: mortar m

• Pashto: please add this translation if you can
• Persian: هاون (fa) (hâvan)
• Polish: moździerz (pl) m inan, stępa (pl) f
• Portuguese: almofariz (pt) m, morteiro (pt) m, gral m, pilão (pt) m
• Pykobjê: cahohw
• Rohingya: please add this translation if you can
• Romanian: piuliță (ro) f, piuă (ro) f, mojar (ro) n
• Russian: сту́па (ru) f (stúpa), сту́пка (ru) f (stúpka)
• Sardinian: maltàgiu m, martaju m, moltàgiu m, mortagiu m, mortaju m, murtàgiu m, murtaju m, murtarzu m, murtarju m, murtàgliu m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ступа m, аван m, мужар m, тарионик m

  Roman: stupa (sh) f, avan (sh) m, mužar (sh) m, tarionik (sh) m

• Sicilian: murtaru (scn) m
• Slovak: mažiar m
• Slovene: minomet m
• Spanish: mortero (es) m, almirez (es) m, pilón (es) m
• Sumerian: 𒄑𒄤 (/⁠naĝa⁠/), 𒀉𒆠 (/⁠idki, itki⁠/)
• Swahili: kinu (sw)
• Swedish: mortel (sv) c
• Sylheti: please add this translation if you can
• Tagalog: lusong
• Tarifit: idiydi m
• Tausug: lusung
• Thai: ครก (th) (krók), โกร่ง (th) (gròong)
• Turkish: havan (tr)
• Ukrainian: сту́па f (stúpa)
• Urdu: اوکھلی f (okhlī)
• Venetian: mortèr m
• Vietnamese: cối (vi)
• Welsh: morter m
• Yakan: linsungan
• Yiddish: please add this translation if you can
• Yoruba: odó
• Zazaki: heveng c

Verb

mortar (third-person singular simple present mortars, present participle mortaring, simple past and past participle mortared)

1. (transitive) To use mortar or plaster to join two things together.
2. (transitive) To pound in a mortar.
3. To fire a mortar (weapon).
4. To attack (someone or something) using a mortar (weapon).

   The insurgents snuck up close and mortared the base last night.

Related terms

• bricks and mortar

See also

• gun
• howitzer

Anagrams

• marrot

Ido

Etymology

Derived from morto +‎ -ar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔrˈtar/

Verb

mortar (present mortas, past mortis, future mortos, conditional mortus, imperative mortez)

1. (intransitive, literally and figuratively) to die, cease to live, depart this life
2. (intransitive) to go out (of fire, lights, etc.)
3. (intransitive) to come to an end (of movement)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of mortar

		present		past		future
infinitive		mortar		mortir		mortor
tense		mortas		mortis		mortos
conditional		mortus
imperative		mortez
adjective active participle		mortanta		mortinta		mortonta
adverbial active participle		mortante		mortinte		mortonte
nominal active participle	singular	mortanto		mortinto		mortonto
	plural	mortanti		mortinti		mortonti

Indonesian

Etymology

From English mortar, from Middle English morter, from Old French mortier, from Latin mortārium. Doublet of mortir.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɔr.tar]
• Hyphenation: mor‧tar

Noun

mortar (first-person possessive mortarku, second-person possessive mortarmu, third-person possessive mortarnya)

1. mortar,
   1. a mixture of lime or cement, sand and water used for bonding building blocks.
   2. a hollow vessel used to pound, crush, rub, grind or mix ingredients with a pestle.

      Synonym: lumpang

Further reading

• “mortar” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

Middle English

Noun

mortar

1. Alternative form of morter

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

mortar m

1. indefinite plural of mort

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mortārium (19th century).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /morˈtar/

Noun

mortar n (uncountable)

1. mortar (construction material)

Declension

declension of mortar (singular only)

	singular
n gender	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) mortar	mortarul
genitive/dative	(unui) mortar	mortarului
vocative	mortarule

Related terms

• mortier
• mojar

Further reading

• mortar in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)