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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.

Mortar, Morter, n.¹ Also: mortair, -o(u)r, -yr. [ME. mortere (14th c.), morter (14th c.): cf. OE. mortere, F. mortier, L. mortārium.] A mortar, the vessel in which solids were pounded into powder with a pestle.Freq. stated to be of brass; also of iron, and occas. of other materials, as wood, marble or glass. 1373 Exch. R. II. 442.]
[In empcione vnius mortarii enii xiij s. iiij d.(a) 14.. Burgh Laws c. 109 (B).
The ayre sal hafe … the mortar, the pestle [etc.] 1457 Peebles B. Rec. I. 119.
A girdil and a bakbrid, a mortar 1502 Treas. Acc. II. 142.
For ane brassin mortar with pestell, bocht to the Franch leich 1503 Ib. 393.
For ane mortair of metall weyand thre stane xj pund 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 177.
Ane mortar of bras witht ane irne pestell 1540 Acta Conc. MS. XIII. 119 b.
Ane braissin morter 1565 Prot. Bk. G. Grote 68. 1589 Exch. R. XXII. 72. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 377.
Bray a fule in a mortar he will never be wise(b) 1499 Halyb. 163.
A haly watter fat, with a morter 1581–2 Elgin Rec. I. 164.
Scho in na times to cvm sall ring bessingis, brassin nor irn morteris [etc.] 1584 Edinb. Test. XIII. 191 b.
Ane irne morter to bray poulder with ane pestell of bras a 1595 Misc. Spald. C. II. xxxi. 16.. Alchem. MSS. V.
Tak your salt … and massine him in a glas morter [etc.] 1645 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III. 43. 1678 Sc. Ant. I. 6. 1695 Bk. O. Edinb. C. XXV. 63.
Two that lookes after the rags the morters and beating stuff(c) 1495 Halyb. 108.
2 pestellis & 2 mortyris(d) 1565–6 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 97.
1 brasin mortor 1586 Perth B. Ct. 15 June.
Ane pestell & mortour of bres 1683 Inventory in Donibristle Mun. (Earl of Moray's MSS.) 9–10 May. 9.
Ane litle black marble mortour