mortar

mortar
mortar1
/mawr"teuhr/, n.
1. a receptacle of hard material, having a bowl-shaped cavity in which substances are reduced to powder with a pestle.
2. any of various mechanical appliances in which substances are pounded or ground.
3. a cannon very short in proportion to its bore, for throwing shells at high angles.
4. some similar contrivance, as for throwing pyrotechnic bombs or a lifeline.
v.t., v.i.
5. to attack with mortar fire or shells.
[bef. 1000; ME, OE mortere and OF mortier < L mortarium; in defs. 3, 4 trans. of F mortier < L, as above; see -AR2]
mortar2
mortarless, adj.mortary, adj.
/mawr"teuhr/, n.
1. a mixture of lime or cement or a combination of both with sand and water, used as a bonding agent between bricks, stones, etc.
2. any of various materials or compounds for bonding together bricks, stones, etc.: Bitumen was used as a mortar.
v.t.
3. to plaster or fix with mortar.
[1250-1300; ME morter < AF; OF mortier MORTAR1, hence the mixture produced in it]

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I
Material used in building construction to bond brick, stone, tile, or concrete blocks into a structure.

The ancient Romans are credited with its invention. Mortar consists of sand mixed with cement and water. The resulting substance must be sufficiently flexible to flow slightly but not collapse under the weight of the masonry units. Before the 19th-century invention of portland cement, masons used thin joints of lime mortar, which required greater precision than the thicker joints of portland-cement mortar and were not as strong. For tilework, a very thin mortar called grout is used. Pointing is the process of finishing a masonry joint.
II
Short-range artillery piece with a short barrel and low muzzle velocity that fires an explosive projectile in a high-arched trajectory.

Large mortars were used against fortifications and in siege operations from medieval times through World War I. Since 1915, small portable models have been standard infantry weapons, especially for mountain or trench warfare. Medium mortars, with a caliber of about 3–4 in. (70–90 mm), a range of up to about 2.5 mi (4 km), and a bomb weight of up to 11 lbs (5 kg), are now widely used.

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▪ building material
      in technology, material used in building construction to bond brick, stone, tile, or concrete blocks into a structure. Mortar consists of inert siliceous (sandy) material mixed with cement and water in such proportions that the resulting substance will be sufficiently plastic to enable ready application with the mason's trowel and to flow slightly but not collapse under the weight of the masonry units. Slaked lime is often added to promote smoothness, and sometimes colouring agents are also added. cement is the most costly ingredient and is held to the minimum consistent with desired strength and watertightness.

      Mortar hardens into a stonelike mass and, properly applied, distributes the load of the structure uniformly over the bonding surfaces and provides a weathertight joint.

weapon
      in military science, short-range artillery piece with a short barrel and low muzzle velocity, firing an explosive projectile in a high-arched trajectory. Large types were used against fortifications and in siege operations from medieval times through World War I. Since 1915, small, portable models have become standard infantry weapons, especially for trench or mountain warfare. Medium mortars, with a calibre of 70–90 mm (about 3–4 inches), a range up to 4,000 m (about 2.5 miles), and a bomb weight of up to 5 kg (11 pounds), are now favoured.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Mortar — Mor tar, n. [OE. morter, AS. mort[=e]re, L. mortarium: cf. F. mortier mortar. Cf. sense 2 (below), also 2d {Mortar}, {Martel}, {Morter}.] 1. A strong vessel, commonly in form of an inverted bell, in which substances are pounded or rubbed with a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mortar — Mor tar, 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}.] (Arch.) A building material made by mixing lime, cement, or plaster of Paris, with sand,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mortar — has several meanings: Mortar (masonry), material used in masonry to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together. Mortar (weapon) fires shells at a much lower velocity and higher ballistic arc than other ordnance. Mortar (firestop),… …   Wikipedia

  • mortar — MORTÁR, mortare, s.n. Material de construcţie constituit dintr un amestec de var, nisip, apă, ciment sau ipsos etc., care se foloseşte ca element de legătură între materiale de construcţie solide. – Din lat. mortarium. Trimis de ana zecheru,… …   Dicționar Român

  • mortar — ► NOUN 1) a mixture of lime with cement, sand, and water, used to bond bricks or stones. 2) a cup shaped receptacle in which substances are crushed or ground with a pestle. 3) a short cannon for firing shells at high angles. ► VERB 1) fix or bond …   English terms dictionary

  • mortar — [môrt′ər] n. [ME mortere < OE mortere & OFr mortier, both < L mortarium, mixing vessel or trough < IE * mṛtos, pulverized < base * mer , to rub: see MORBID] 1. a very hard bowl in which softer substances are ground or pounded to a… …   English World dictionary

  • Mortar — Mor tar, v. t. To plaster or make fast with mortar. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mortar — Mor tar, n. [F. mortier. See {Mortar} a vessel.] A chamber lamp or light. [Obs.] Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • mortar — index cement Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • mortar — {{11}}mortar (1) mixture of cement, late 13c., from O.Fr. mortier builder s mortar, plaster; bowl for mixing (13c.), from L. mortarium mortar, also crushed drugs, probably the same word as mortarium bowl for mixing or pounding (see MORTAR (Cf.… …   Etymology dictionary

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