: 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
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Noun
Beyond the bricks and mortar, the project is layered with partnerships that give it a sense of cultural and culinary weight.—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2025 Longtime food truck business La Hamburguesa Loca is opening a brick and mortar spot in the former Pardo’s location.—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 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
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English morter, from Old English mortere & Anglo-French mortier, from Latin mortarium
Noun (2)
Middle English morter, from Anglo-French morter, mortier, from Latin mortarium
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 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 2noun
: 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
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