WORD QUIZ! WIN 10 POINTS! How did "mortar" come to mean both the stuff between bricks and the military weapon?
June 27th, 2010 by eranio
This is something I became curious about and dug into it. Now I want to see if you know. I’ll give best answer to whoever is closest. I want to know how it is that the word "mortar" came to represent both the cement that’s used hold bricks in place and the contemporary military weapon that is a small tube-shaped rocket launcher.
Posted in military weapons
June 27th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
I’ll give it a pop.
I would assume that it means mortar because, well that’s what they used to build walls, but also it becomes the weapon because there is also a mortar and pestle, which smash and obliterate things, and that’s what the weapon does.
Just a guess though… ^.^
June 27th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
They both hold things in place.
Mortar is the cement used to HOLD a wall and other things in place
Mortar is also the canister (if you will) that HOLDS a shell in place
June 27th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
mortar – "short cannon," 1558, originally mortar-piece, from M.Fr. mortier "short cannon," from O.Fr. "bowl for mixing or pounding" So called for its shape.
also "crushed drugs," probably the same word as mortarium "bowl for mixing or pounding"
June 27th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
There is also a mortar and pestle which is used to grind materials. But I have no idea…
June 27th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
They Both are made from a mixture of ingredients.
June 27th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
The connection is the mortar and pestle, a device consisting of a bowl (mortar) and stick (pestle) used for grinding substances into powder.
The weapon was named after the bowl because of a similarity in shape between the first mortars and a bowl.
The cement is named for the tool (mortar and pestle) originally used to grind the lime before it is mixed with sand.