mortar Copy link Outline I. For pounding1. mortārium2. pīla (only for pounding in; whereas mortarium may be used of any vessel for mixing ingredients, kneading, etc.)II. A kind of cannonIII. For building1. mortārium (from the name of the vessel in which it was mixed)2. ărēnātum (a kind of sand-mortar)3. meton. calx, cis, f. (as the main ingredient in m.) • mortar: I. For pounding: 1. mortārium: to pound with a brass m. and pestle, aereo m. pistilloque terere, Plin. 33, 8, 41; conterere, Col. 12, 55: Cato. Dimin. mortariolum (a small m.): Aemil. Macer. 2. pīla (only for pounding in; whereas mortarium may be used of any vessel for mixing ingredients, kneading, etc.): a small m. for pounding wheat, paulula p. ubi triticum pinsant, Cato, R. R. 14, med.: Plin. Scrib. II. A kind of cannon: *tormentum brevioris formae, quod mortarium dicunt. III. For building: 1. mortārium (from the name of the vessel in which it was mixed): Vitr. 7, 1, 5; 8, 6 (7), 14. 2. ărēnātum (a kind of sand-mortar): Plin. 36, 23, 55: Vitr. (Arenatum appears to have been used externally, like rough-cast.) 3. meton. calx, cis, f. (as the main ingredient in m.): cf. Plin. l. c., ruinarum urbis ea maxime causa, quod furto calcis sine ferrumine suo caementa componuntur, i. e. put together without m. macerata calx is lime properly slaked and steeped, Vitr. 7, 2.