Quick Facts
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
mortar and pestle
tools
mortar and pestle, ancient device for milling by pounding. The mortar is a durable bowl commonly made of stone, ceramic, or wood. The pestle is a rounded grinding club often made of the same material as the mortar. Together with the saddle quern (a round stone rolled or rubbed on a flat stone bed), the mortar and pestle was the first means known for grinding grain; the grain was placed in a shallow depression in a stone, the mortar, and pounded with a rodlike stone, the pestle. Smaller refined versions of the mortar and pestle have continued to find use in kitchens for preparing pastes and other finely ground elements of cuisine, in pharmacy for preparing medicines, and in chemical laboratories.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
Discover how ordinary objects work, and expand your understanding of the familiar.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
By clicking "Sign Up", you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.