Middle English Dictionary Entry
mō̆rtẹ̄̆r n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | mō̆rtẹ̄̆r n.(1) Also mortē̆r(e, mortar(e, mortair, mortre & (error) mortel. |
| Etymology | OE mortere, from L, & OF mortier, morter 'a mortar' & L mortārium. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A mortar, a bowl used for grinding and mixing ingredients in preparing food or medicaments; also fig.; (b) bras (brasen) ~, ~ of bras, a mortar made of brass; leden ~, ~ of led, a mortar made of lead; ston ~, a mortar of stone; gar-lek ~, a mortar in which garlic is pounded [see also gar-lek 2.]; ~ stok, a pestle; [some of the examples here may belong to sense 2.]; (c) a bowl; dish; a vessel for storing incense; (d) a hollow resembling a mortar.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)88.39 : Cnuca on anum trywe mortere.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)127.116/2 : Nim þeos wyrt & æscþrote anne wrid &..ȝepuna þanne eal tosomne on ane mortere.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)511 : Morter, pil et mundiloun: Morter, pestelle and pootstikke.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)99 : Nym Hennys and seth hem..do awey the bonys and bray smal yn a mortar.
- (1381) Doc.in Morsbach Origurk.4 : Jtem amorter and pistel.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Num.11.8 : Man forsoþe was as þe seed of coriaundre, of þe colour bdellyy, & þe peple wente aboute gederynge hit & breke in a grynstone or pouned in a morter [L mortario].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.27.22 : If þou bete togidere a fool in a morteer [L pila], as hooled barly smytynge þer vp on þe pestel, shal not ben taken awey from hym his folye.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)251a/b : Ptisana..is barlich y-druyed, y-powned in a morter.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)317b/b : In pila est contusum: þat is, y-bete in a morter.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)p.54 : Take clene pork and boile it tendre, þenne hewe it small and bray it smal in a morter.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)336/8 : Þou schalt poudre þe litarge in a morter.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)332 : Herbes he took in on herbere, And stamped hem in a mortere.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.44 : Her sauce was ouer soure & vnsauourely grounde In a morter [C vr.: mortel], post-mortem, of many bitter peyne.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)135/23 : She bigynneþ to þenke hure yuel weies..and pouneþ in a morter of hure conscience monye and diuerse bitter spices of hure synnes.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)143/9 : Þer ben fewe gode grynders at þat morter, and mony false.
- (1419) *Will Bury155 : I be qwethe Will' Basse..a morter of hard ston.
- (1425) Stonor1.43 : In coquina..j gret morter cum j pestel.
- ?c1425(c1380) Chaucer Form.A.(Benson-Robinson)15 : No man yit in the morter spyces grond To clarre, ne to sause of galantyne.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)28 : Take Fygys & Roysonys, & grynd hem in a Mortere.
- ?a1450 Ashm.Cook.Bk.(Ashm 1439)109 : Schake out þat is wiþ-in, and put al in a mortre..and grynd al to-gedre.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)113 : Take betoyne, verueyne..& grynde hem in a morter.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)93/3 : Grynde hem well in a morter, and frye hem in may-buttir.
- (1465) Doc.Finchale in Sur.Soc.6p.ccxcviii : j motar [read: mortar] de ære, j pestell de ferro, ij mortar lapedei, [etc.].
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)32b : Take A blake flynt & do breke hym in A morter and make A powdir þer of.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.7 : Take wete..And do hit in a morter shene; Bray hit a lytelle.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.23.15b : Kest al in þe morter of meknes and breke hit smal wiþ þe pestel of drede of god.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)100 : Tak whet..and put it in a mortair and bray it till it hull.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)68b/b : Breke þese rotis in a morter.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)82b : A Morter: mortarium, mortariolum, lapista, pila, ptipsanarium.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)626 : Mortare, pestelle: mortarium, pila.
b
- (1397) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.97 : [A] brasene morter [with a pestle of] yrene.
- (1398) Will York in Sur.Soc.4245 : Lego..Consanguineo meo..les cornedisshes, mortarstokes, j draghyngdobler, [etc.].
- (1410) Will York in Sur.Soc.4548 : j bras mortar.
- (1420) EEWills46/30 : i petit brase morter, i pestell de ferro.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)152a/b : And of vnguento albo of sulphure..stamped in a ledene morter.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)149a/a : Þe rote of scolopender..grounden in a morter of lede..is good And ȝif it be done in a morter of brasse, it is stronger.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)129/3 : Take poudre litarge and ceruse..and bete ham in leden morter.
- (1432) *Acc.R.Witham : i garlekmorter lign'.
- (1433) Will York in Sur.Soc.3049 : Unum brasen morter.
- (1434) Will York in Sur.Soc.3038 : Lego..filio meo..duos yren rakkes, tres stone morters.
- (1444) Will York in Sur.Soc.30112 : I wil yt William, my sone, have..a brasyn morter, [etc.].
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)200/24 : Take ij hanfull off comyn and bete yt in a brasyn morter to powder.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)56/138 : Take an ey..& do it in a brasen mortar.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)112/20 : Bray hem in a morter of bras all to powdir.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)132/21 : Breke þin encence and þin perosyn and þi rosyne in a brasyn morter, and caste into þe poot.
- (1456-7) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103635 : Item i brasynmorter.
- (a1500) Collect.Anglo-Premonst.in RHS ser.3.6263 : In primis in coquina..a bras morter & a pestelle.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)70/13 : Nym the stelkys of myntyn and whit salt and grynd hit in a brasyn mortere and rubbe þy teþ þer-with 3 tymes, and þey schul ben white.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)3 Kings 7.50 : Salamon made alle þe vesselis in þe hous of þe lord..goldene syntteris, & stenys & fleschookis & violis & morteris [Corp-O: morters; L mortariola] and censeris of most pure gold.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)4 Kings 25.14 : Al þe bras þei beeren ouer in to babiloyne & brasene pottis..cuppis & morteeris.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Num.7.14 : Þe ferst day offrede..Naason..alytul morter [L mortariolum] of ten ciclis of gold fool of ensense.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Par.4.22 : Þe maad encense vesselis..& morteeris of most pure gold.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)25a/a : Eschinos: a morter.
d
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.113 : A morter [L mortarium] faste is maad aboute the tre.
2.
A bowl containing oil or wax and a wick, serving as a lamp.
Associated quotations
- [ (1378) Will in Nichols Col.Wills (1780)98 : C'est assavoir qe v grosses cierges qarrez et iiii mortiers de cire soient mys entour mon corps. ]
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)245a/a : Of seed of þe rape..is oyle y-made þat is nedefulle..in lampis & morteres of candelstikes.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1487 : Lampes wer grayþed And oþer louflych lyȝt þat lemed ful fayre, As mony morteres of wax merkked wythoute, Wyth mony a borlych best al of brende golde.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1245 : For, by the morter which that I se brenne, Knowe I ful wel that day is nat far henne.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)11278 : Thei made foure morteres þat euere brent.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)968 : The curteyns, let draw þem þe bed round about; se his morter with wax or perchere, þat it go not owt.
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)503 : A morter of wax ȝet wille he bryng..Þat alle nyȝt brennes in bassyn clere.
3.
A bowl carried in public as a form of punishment.
Associated quotations
- [ (1423) *Maldon (Essex) Court Rolls Bundle 14, no.1b [OD col.] : Uxor Johannis Morys est communis litigatrix et portabit mortarium. ]
- (1468) *Maldon (Essex) Liber B [OD col.]fol.12b : Alle maner of brethelde brauleres..for ther braulyng shull bere the morter accordyng to the olde custum of this toun.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1400 Harv.lat.235 Artist.Recipes (Harv lat.235) 293/27 : Forto make a god schinyng blew, tak blew floures þat grow yn corn, and stamp hem in a motter, and seth hit wel, and put alum þerinne.
Note: Additional quot., sense 1.(a). New spelling (motter).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. mortar.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. brazen mortar.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. leaden mortar.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. mortar of brass.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. mortar of lead.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. stone mortar.