Spanish Conversation · Level 183
15 words
Spanish word
mortero
Pronunciation
IPA/moɾˈteɾo/
Meaning
- masculine nounmortar
Example
En la cocina uso el mortero para moler especias.
In the kitchen I use the mortar to grind spices.
More examples
Para el guacamole, machaco aguacate en el mortero.
For the guacamole, I crush avocado in the mortar.
Core concept
Small sturdy bowl and pestle for crushing spices.
Common phrases
machacar en el mortero
crush in the mortar
mortero de cerámica
ceramic mortar
Similar words
almirez: Crushes ingredients in a small, traditionally metal mortar built for heavy pounding.
morterillo: Crushes tiny quantities of spice in a very light, compact mortar for small batches.
Definition in Spanish
Recipiente pequeño y resistente, usado en la cocina para triturar ingredientes al frotarlos o golpearlos con una pieza manual.
Word origin
From Latin mortarium 'pounding vessel', Spanish mortero derives from that root and shares its origin with English mortar and with the Spanish term for masonry mortar.
Usage tips
- In recipes, 'usar el mortero' or 'machacar en el mortero' commonly refers to the kitchen mortar and pestle rather than construction mortar, and the verb often implies using the pestle.
Other meanings
- field mortarnoun