Mortar

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: mor=tar

CIDE DICTIONARY

Mortar, n. [OE. morter, AS. mortēre, L. mortarium: cf. F. mortier mortar. Cf. sense 2 (below), also 2d Mortar, Martel, Morter.].

•  A strong vessel, commonly in form of an inverted bell, in which substances are pounded or rubbed with a pestle.  [1913 Webster]
•  A short piece of ordnance, used for throwing bombs, carcasses, shells, etc., at high angles of elevation, as 451913 Webster]

Mortar bed (Mil.), a framework of wood and iron, suitably hollowed out to receive the breech and trunnions of a mortar. -- Mortar boat or Mortar vessel (Naut.), a boat strongly built and adapted to carrying a mortar or mortars for bombarding; a bomb ketch. -- Mortar piece, a mortar. [Obs.] Shak.

Mortar, n. [OE. mortier, F. mortier, L. mortarium mortar, a large basin or trough in which mortar is made, a mortar (in sense 1, above). See 1st Mortar.].

 A building material made by mixing lime, cement, or plaster of Paris, with sand, water, and sometimes other materials; -- used in masonry for joining stones, bricks, etc., also for plastering, and in other ways.  [1913 Webster]

Mortar bed, a shallow box or receptacle in which mortar is mixed.

Mortar, v. t. 

 To plaster or make fast with mortar.  [1913 Webster]

Mortar, n. [F. mortier. See Mortar a vessel.].

 A chamber lamp or light.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Mortar, n. & v.
--n.
1 a mixture of lime with cement, sand, and water, used in building to bond bricks or stones.
2 a short large-bore cannon for firing shells at high angles.
3 a contrivance for firing a lifeline or firework.
4 a vessel made of hard material, in which ingredients are pounded with a pestle.
--v.tr.
1 plaster or join with mortar.
2 attack or bombard with mortar shells.

Derivative

mortarless adj. (in sense 1). mortary adj. (in sense 1).

Etymology

ME f. AF morter, OF mortier f. L mortarium: partly from LG

THESAURUS

Mortar

adobe, aim at, alembic, anvil, ashlar, barrage, blast, blitz, bombard, brick, bricks and mortar, caldron, cannon, cannonade, cement, clinker, commence firing, concrete, covering materials, crucible, enfilade, engine, ferroconcrete, fire a volley, fire at, fire upon, firebrick, flag, flagstone, flooring, fusillade, grout, lath and plaster, lathe, machine, masonry, mastic, melting pot, motor, open fire, open up on, parget, pavement, paving, paving material, pepper, plaster, plasters, pop at, prestressed concrete, rake, retort, roofage, roofing, roughcast, shell, shoot, shoot at, siding, snipe, snipe at, stone, strafe, stucco, take aim at, test tube, tile, tiling, torpedo, transducer, transformer, walling, zero in on

ROGET THESAURUS

Mortar

Connection

N connection, vinculum, link, connective, connection, junction, bond of union, copula, hyphen, intermedium, bracket, bridge, stepping-stone, isthmus, bond, tendon, tendril, fiber, cord, cordage, riband, ribbon, rope, guy, cable, line, halser, hawser, painter, moorings, wire, chain, string, fastener, fastening, tie, ligament, ligature, strap, tackle, rigging, standing rigging, running rigging, traces, harness, yoke, band ribband, bandage, brace, roller, fillet, inkle, with, withe, withy, thong, braid, girder, tiebeam, girth, girdle, cestus, garter, halter, noose, lasso, surcingle, knot, running knot, cabestro, cinch, lariat, legadero, oxreim, suspenders, pin, corking pin, nail, brad, tack, skewer, staple, corrugated fastener, clamp, U-clamp, C-clamp, cramp, cramp iron, ratchet, detent, larigo, pawl, terret, treenail, screw, button, buckle, clasp, hasp, hinge, hank, catch, latch, bolt, latchet, tag, tooth, hook, hook and eye, lock, holdfast, padlock, rivet, anchor, grappling iron, trennel, stake, post, cement, glue, gum, paste, size, wafer, solder, lute, putty, birdlime, mortar, stucco, plaster, grout, viscum, shackle, rein, prop.

Arms

N arm, arms, weapon, deadly weapon, armament, armaments, armature, panoply, stand of arms, armor, armory, apparatus belli, ammunition, powder, powder and shot, cartridge, ball cartridge, cartouche, fireball, villainous saltpeter, dumdum bullet, explosive, gunpowder, guncotton, mercury fulminate, picrates, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, PETN, high explosive, trinitrotoluene, TNT, dynamite, melinite, cordite, lyddite, plastic explosive, plastique, pyroxyline, sword, saber, broadsword, cutlass, falchion, scimitar, cimeter, brand, whinyard, bilbo, glaive, glave, rapier, skean, Toledo, Ferrara, tuck, claymore, adaga, baselard, Lochaber ax, skean dhu, creese, kris, dagger, dirk, banger, poniard, stiletto, stylet, dudgeon, bayonet, sword-bayonet, sword-stick, side arms, foil, blade, steel, ax, bill, pole-ax, battle-ax, gisarme, halberd, partisan, tomahawk, bowie knife, ataghan, attaghan, yataghan, yatacban, assagai, assegai, good sword, trusty sword, naked sword, cold steel, club, mace, truncheon, staff, bludgeon, cudgel, life preserver, shillelah, sprig, hand staff, quarter staff, bat, cane, stick, knuckle duster, billy, blackjack, sandbag, waddy, gun, piece, firearms, artillery, ordnance, siege train, battering train, park, battery, cannon, gun of position, heavy gun, field piece, mortar, howitzer, carronade, culverin, basilisk, falconet, jingal, swivel, pederero, bouche a feu, petard, torpedo, mitrailleur, mitrailleuse, infernal machine, smooth bore, rifled cannon, Armstrong gun, Lancaster gun, Paixhan gun, Whitworth gun, Parrott gun, Krupp gun, Gatling gun, Maxim gun, machine gun, pompom, ten pounder, small arms, musket, musketry, firelock, fowling piece, rifle, fusil, caliver, carbine, blunderbuss, musketoon, Brown Bess, matchlock, harquebuss, arquebus, haguebut, pistol, postolet, petronel, small bore, breach-loader, muzzle-loader, revolver, repeater, Minis rifle, Enfield rifle, Flobert rifle, Westley Richards rifle, Snider rifle, Martini-Henry rifle, Lee-Metford rifle, Lee-Enfield rifle, Mauser rifle, magazine rifle, needle gun, chassepot, wind gun, air gun, automatic gun, automatic pistol, escopet, escopette, gunflint, gun- lock, hackbut, shooter, shooting iron, six-shooter, shotgun, Uzzi, assault rifle, Kalashnikov, bow, crossbow, balister, catapult, sling, battering ram, gunnery, ballistics, missile, bolt, projectile, shot, ball, grape, grape shot, canister shot, bar shot, cannon shot, langrel shot, langrage shot, round shot, chain shot, balista, ballista, slung shot, trebucbet, trebucket, bullet, slug, stone, brickbat, grenade, shell, bomb, carcass, rocket, congreve, congreve rocket, shrapnel, mitraille, levin bolt, levin brand, thunderbolt, pike, lance, spear, spontoon, javelin, dart, jereed, jerid, arrow, reed, shaft, bolt, boomerang, harpoon, gaff, eelspear, oxgoad, weet-weet, wommerah, cattle prod, chemical mace, en flute, nervos belli pecuniam infinitam.