mortar

noun
UK: /ˈmɔː.tər/
US: /ˈmɔːr.tər/

  1. A mixture of cement, sand, and water, used to hold bricks or stones together.

    1. The mortar between the bricks is crumbling after the hard winter.
    2. The old stone wall needed repointing because the mortar had deteriorated significantly over the years.

  2. A bowl-shaped container in which substances are crushed or ground, usually with a pestle.

    1. She ground the spices using a mortar and pestle to make the curry paste.
    2. The pharmacist carefully measured the ingredients before grinding them in the mortar to prepare the medicine.

Synonyms

cement paste adhesive bowl
mortar verb

  1. To join or hold something together with mortar.

    1. They will mortar the stones to build the new garden wall today.
    2. The bricklayer carefully mortared the new bricks onto the existing structure.

  2. To attack with mortar bombs.

    1. The enemy forces began to mortar the city during the early hours.
    2. The troops were instructed not to mortar the area because civilians were likely present.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "mortar" in English means: A mixture of cement, sand, and water, used to hold bricks or stones together., A bowl-shaped container in which substances are crushed or ground, usually with a pestle..

The phonetic transcription of "mortar" is /ˈmɔː.tər/ in British English and /ˈmɔːr.tər/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "mortar": cement, paste, adhesive, bowl.

Example usage of "mortar": "The mortar between the bricks is crumbling after the hard winter.". More examples on the page.