pestle

1 of 2

noun

pes·​tle ˈpe-səl  ˈpes-tᵊl 

1

: a usually club-shaped implement for pounding or grinding substances in a mortar see mortar illustration

2

: any of various devices for pounding, stamping, or pressing

Illustration of pestle

• pestle 1 (with mortar)

pestle

2 of 2

verb

pestled; pestling ˈpe-s(ə-)liŋ 

ˈpes-tᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

archaic

: to beat, pound, or pulverize with or as if with a pestle

intransitive verb

: to work with a pestle : use a pestle

Examples of pestle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

To achieve the specific smooth, airy texture, Menashe uses a mortar and pestle to combine the garbanzo beans, tahini, water, lemon juice, parsley, garlic and salt. —Restaurant Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026

What started as a labor of love for her athletes — and a 150-year-old stone mortar and pestle inherited from her great grandmother — has turned into an award-winning bean-to-bar operation. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026

Hana starts taking home a rib cage here, a few bones there, grinding them up with a mortar and pestle to make her own DIY version of the gray. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026

My job was to use the mortar and pestle to pound down garlic and ginger. —Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pestel, from Anglo-French, from Latin pistillum, from pinsere to pound, crush; akin to Greek ptissein to crush, Sanskrit pinaṣṭi he pounds

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for pestle

• cresol
• decile
• nestle
• sessile
• trestle
• vessel
• wessel
• wrestle
• subsessile

Kids Definition

pestle

noun

pes·​tle

ˈpes-əl, 

ˈpes-tᵊl

: a usually club-shaped tool for pounding or grinding substances in a mortar

Medical Definition

pestle

noun

pes·​tle

ˈpes-əl also ˈpes-tᵊl

: a usually club-shaped implement for pounding or grinding substances in a mortar