Illustration of mortar
- M mortar
- P pestle
1
: a sturdy vessel in which material is pounded or rubbed with a pestle
crushed the seeds in a mortar
2
[Middle French mortier]
a
: a portable muzzle-loading weapon having a tube short in relation to its caliber (see caliber sense 2b) that is used to throw bombs at high angles
mortars fired at the enemy positions
b
: any of several similar firing devices
: a plastic building material (such as a mixture of cement, lime, or gypsum plaster with sand and water) that hardens and is used in masonry or plastering
mortarless
adjective
mortared; mortaring; mortars
: to plaster or make fast with mortar
Examples of mortar in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Terri Colby, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
The business, which shut down its brick and mortar at the end of 2024, is pivoting to catering and food truck operations (still bookable through its website).
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2025
Xanthe Scharff, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for mortar 
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Noun
Built in the 6th century as the Christian cathedral of Constantinople, the cavernous brick and mortar building was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly 1,000 years.
—Terri Colby, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
The business, which shut down its brick and mortar at the end of 2024, is pivoting to catering and food truck operations (still bookable through its website).
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
Their homes, mortared with mud and topped with straw, are vulnerable to rain.
—Xanthe Scharff, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for mortar
Dictionary Entries Near mortar
Cite this Entry
“Mortar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortar. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mortar
1 of 2 noun
mor·tar
ˈmȯrt-ər 
1
: a strong deep bowl in which substances are pounded or crushed with a pestle
2
: a short muzzle-loading cannon used to fire shells at a low speed and at high angles
mortar
2 of 2 noun
: a building material made of lime and cement mixed with sand and water that is spread between bricks or stones so as to hold them together when it hardens
mortar
verb
Medical Definition
mortar
noun
mor·tar
ˈmȯrt-ər
: a strong vessel in which material is pounded or rubbed with a pestle
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