Mortar
/ˈmɔːrtər/
nounverbB2
Definition
Mortar is a soft, wet mixture made from materials like cement, sand, and water. Builders use it to stick bricks or stones together so walls and buildings are strong. As a verb, "to mortar" means to apply this mixture to join or cover surfaces.
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See It in Action
A building material: a paste used to bind bricks or stones
- •The mason applied mortar between the bricks to build the wall.
- •Mortar needs time to dry before the wall is strong.
- •The old house had crumbling mortar that needed repair.
To apply mortar as a verb
- •They mortared the stones carefully to make the structure stable.
- •The workers mortared the gaps to stop water from entering.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "mortar" like "glue," but for bricks and stones instead of paper or plastic
- ✓Picture a builder spreading a wet, gray paste between bricks to hold them tightly
- ✓It's the feeling of making something strong and solid by joining parts together carefully
- ✓Sounds like "MORE-ter" → imagine needing MORE strength to hold heavy bricks together
- ✓Think of ancient walls or houses where mortar keeps the building from falling apart
- ✓NOT like "paint" (which covers surfaces for color), mortar actually sticks things and fills gaps
- ✓NOT like "cement" alone (cement is a part of mortar), mortar is the full paste mixture used in building
- ✓NOT like "brick" (the object), mortar is what holds bricks together
Try Other Words
- •Cement: a powder that hardens and is a main part of mortar (Use when talking about the material before mixing)
- •Plaster: a soft mixture used to cover walls (Use when talking about covering surfaces, not joining bricks)
- •Adhesive: a general word for sticky substances (Use in a broad sense, less specific to building)
- •Grout: a mixture similar to mortar but used to fill spaces between tiles (Use when talking about tiles, not bricks)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no clear prefix or suffix) — "mortar" is a simple root word
- •Etymology: From Latin "mortarium," meaning a bowl for mixing or a mixture itself
- •Historical development: Originally meant a bowl for grinding or mixing; later came to mean the mixture used in building
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in construction to mean the paste that holds bricks or stones; also used as a verb meaning to apply this paste
Reflect & Connect
•How does mortar help buildings last a long time, and what happens if it is weak or missing?
•Can you think of other materials or methods people use to join things together besides mortar?
Fill in the blanks
1.Builders use mortar to ___ bricks and stones firmly in place during construction.
2.Mortar must be ___ properly to ensure the wall is strong and safe.
3.Unlike paint, mortar's main job is to ___ materials, not just cover them.
4.When workers mortared the wall, they carefully filled ___ between the bricks.
5.If the mortar cracks or falls out, the structure can become ___ and unsafe.
6.Mortar often contains cement, sand, and ___ mixed with water.
7.The old building needed new mortar because the original had ___ over time.