A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1473-1671
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Mortar, Morter, n.2 Also: mortare, -(o)ur, moirter, mourtar. [ME. (c 1290) and e.m.E. morter, F. mortier (13th c. in Littré), L. mortārium.] Mortar, the mixture (commonly of sand and lime) used as a binding material for masonry or brickwork.Also common in the phr. stane (stone) and mortar, = the materials for building in stone, collectively.(1) 1533 Boece vii. x. 242.
The new bigging, parte of grene lyme, parte myxt with mortare, was nocht ȝit hard c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1716.
Joynit … With syment maid of pik and tar They uisit nane uther mortar c1552 Ib. 1781. 1561–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 430.(b) 1532 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I. 98.
To four barrowmen … makand morter 1532 Ib. 111.
For tua bakkatis for bering of morter 1532 Ib. 112. 1574 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 21.
Ane shod schule to mak moirter with 1587 Carmichael Etym. 28.
Maceries, wall without morter(c) 1590 Crail B. Ct. 6 Oct.
That no persone … preswme … to cast ony delphis or howis in the … comoun gaetis … for making off mortour 1648 Dunferm. Kirk S. 26.
His owne timber to hold the masons mortour(2) 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 178.
The said Wil. sal big a myl hous of stane and mortare 1518 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) I. 47.
And a dik abone, owder wyth stane and morter … or faill 1532 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I. 100.
To the werkmen that servit the said masonis with stane and morter 1548 Stirling B. Rec. I. 52. 1597 Acts IV. 131/1.
Mortour 1671 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 277.
The Quakers … hade causit built great dycks of stone and morter about the said yard(3) 1562-3 Winȝet I. 14/18.
fig. Bot the prophetis of it spargeonit thaim with vntemperit morter
b. Attrib. with -hous, -meir, -trouch and -tub, and in mortar-man (= one who works with, makes or provides the mortar on a building job).(1) 1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 9.
To naill on ane daill before the mourtar hous dure — 1600 Ayr B. Acc. 203.
A morter meir 1531 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) II. 155.
Quhen he pas fra it he sal leff ane stand bed, mortar troucht and chir 1513–14 Rentale Dunkeld. MS. 205 (= ed., p. 289).
In reformacione lie morter tubbis … xviij d. 1529–30 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I. 20.
For ii ulie barrellis for mortar tubbis 1529–30 Ib. 112, etc. 1545–6 Treasurer's Accounts VIII. 448. 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 350.
To cuparis for mending and geirthing the punscheonis and mortar tubbis 1617 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) II. 37. 1633 Ib. MS. XXVI. 2.
To ane wricht for making twa morter tubbes and ane meir(2) 1558 Rentale Dunkeld. 359.
To tua mortur men xviij d. on the day 1560 Ib. 354.
To ane morterman xij d. on the day the said space 1617 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) II. 66.
In paying of the morter men
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"Mortar n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mortar_n_2>
