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

From a morning visit to a local market to buy the freshest vegetables and herbs to pounding green curry paste in a mortar and pestle to making mango sticky rice, my foodie family couldn’t be happier. —Tanvi Chheda, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024

Using a molcajete or mortar and pestle, grind the bones to a fine paste, then add them to the chochoyotes dough in step 6. —Obed Vallejo, Saveur, 28 Mar. 2024

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

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