mortar
/ˈmɔːtə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɔːrtər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmȯr-tər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈmɔː.tər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɔːr.tɚ/ (ame, ipa)
mortar — noun
- mortarsingular
- mortarsplural
1. a thick wet building paste made by mixing sand with water and either cement or l
a thick wet building paste made by mixing sand with water and either cement or lime, then pressing it between pieces of brick or stone so a wall stays solid.
The mason spread fresh mortar between the bricks before lifting the next row.
spread mortar between + bricks
After the rain, Mira covered the new mortar so it could dry slowly.
Cracks appeared where the old mortar had fallen out of the garden wall.
The workers mixed sand and lime to make mortar for the stone path.
文法句型
mix mortar
spread mortar between + bricks/stones
a layer of mortar
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when you mean the material in general. Say 'some mortar' or 'a layer of mortar', not 'a mortar', in this building sense.
常見錯誤
2. a short, heavy artillery weapon that throws bombs upward in a steep curve, or on
a short, heavy artillery weapon that throws bombs upward in a steep curve, or one of the bombs fired from it.
The army used a mortar to hit the hilltop without moving the trucks closer.
use a mortar to hit + target
A mortar shell landed near the bridge and broke several windows.
mortar shell
Reporters heard mortar fire through the night from the edge of town.
The unit carried a light mortar up the muddy slope before dawn.
文法句型
fire a mortar
mortar shell
mortar fire
用法筆記
Nearby words usually show whether the noun means the weapon or the bomb itself. In news reports, common combinations include 'mortar fire', 'mortar attack', and 'mortar shell'.
常見錯誤
3. a thick, strong bowl used with a pestle to crush seeds, herbs, medicine, or othe
a thick, strong bowl used with a pestle to crush seeds, herbs, medicine, or other solids into powder or paste.
The cook crushed garlic and salt in a stone mortar before adding oil.
in a mortar
Dr. Lin ground the dried leaves in a mortar for the lab test.
At the pharmacy museum, visitors saw a bronze mortar beside old scales.
The pestle was missing, but the heavy mortar was still on the shelf.
- grinding bowl
a plain descriptive phrase rather than the standard dictionary term
- crusher bowl
understandable but not the usual fixed term in kitchens or labs
文法句型
a mortar and pestle
grind + ingredient + in a mortar
用法筆記
Often appears in the fixed pair 'mortar and pestle'. Cooking, medicine, seeds, and grinding usually point to this bowl sense rather than the building material.
常見錯誤
mortar — adjective
- mortarpositive
- more mortarcomparative
- most mortarsuperlative
1. connected with mortar weapons or with the shooting done by them.
connected with mortar weapons or with the shooting done by them.
Residents hid in the basement after repeated mortar attacks on the market.
mortar attacks
The soldiers took cover when mortar rounds began falling near the checkpoint.
mortar rounds
Emergency crews repaired the road after a mortar strike damaged the bridge.
The commander requested extra lights because mortar fire continued after sunset.
- artillery
broader; includes many other heavy weapons besides mortars
- indirect-fire
technical military term that focuses on firing method rather than the specific weapon
文法句型
mortar attack
mortar round
mortar fire
mortar strike
用法筆記
Usually appears before nouns such as 'attack', 'fire', 'round', and 'position'. This adjective belongs to the military sense, not the building material.
mortar — verb
- mortarpresent simple I / you / we / they
- mortars3rd person singular
- mortaring-ing form
- mortaredpast simple
1. to spread mortar on something or use it to join bricks or stones firmly together
to spread mortar on something or use it to join bricks or stones firmly together.
The builders mortared the loose bricks back into the garden wall.
mortar + bricks + into + wall
After cleaning the chimney, Rosa mortared the cracked section by hand.
The team mortared the stone steps before the winter rain arrived.
A local mason mortared the arch carefully so the gap stayed even.
文法句型
mortar + wall/brick/stone
mortar + object + into place
用法筆記
Usually takes a direct object naming the surface or pieces being fixed, such as 'mortar the wall' or 'mortar the stones into place'. Add 'with mortar' only when you need contrast with another material.