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

Spotted throughout are Mexican candies (a reference to his childhood hanging out at swap meets with his parents) and small black mortars and pestles. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026

This means its jaw acted more like a mortar and pestle than a pair of scissors, allowing the dinosaur to smash softer foods. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Oct. 2026

Verb

The CameraJet came out on top on every metric—but the comparison seems a bit like putting a mortar and pestle up against a VitaMix. — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026

This Tony, the future bad-boy tell-all insider of the culinary world, is still touchingly unformed—a mortar full of raw, pasty potential, crying out for life experience to pestle him into shape. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 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