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.
MORTAR Copy link • MORTARA vessel in which anything is pounded, mortarium; pila (less than mortarium): a small mortar, mortariolum (late): pila paullula (Cato, R.R., 14, 2): to pound anything in a mortar, in mortario or in pila tundere; in pila pinsere. A kind of large gun, *mortarium (bellicum). Prepared lime, mortarium, calx praeparata (Vitr.); arenatum (one third lime and two thirds sand): to cover with mortar, arenatum inducere alicui rei.