mortar
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mortar
A thick-walled, bowl-shaped vessel in which substances such as spices, herbs, or medicines are crushed or ground with a pestle.
Für das Pesto zerreibt sie den Basilikum mit Pinienkernen in einem Mörser.
For the pesto, she grinds the basil with pine nuts in a mortar.
The meaning of 'Mörser' (mortar) is almost always clear from the context. Words like 'Küche' (kitchen), 'Gewürze' (spices), or 'zerstoßen' (to crush) point to the kitchen tool, while 'Militär' (military), 'Granate' (shell/grenade), or 'Stellung' (position) point to the weapon.
In der Küche benutze ich einen Mörser für frische Kräuter.
In the kitchen, I use a mortar for fresh herbs.
The 'Mörser' (mortar) is only the bowl-shaped vessel. The matching tool used to grind something inside it is called 'der Stößel' (the pestle). Together, they form a set.
Er zerdrückte den Knoblauch mit dem Stößel im Mörser.
He crushed the garlic with the pestle in the mortar.
In a kitchen context, 'Mörser' (mortar) is often used with verbs such as 'zerstoßen' (to crush), 'zerreiben' (to grind), or 'mahlen' (to mill/grind). Typical substances are 'Gewürze' (spices), 'Kräuter' (herbs), or 'Pfefferkörner' (peppercorns).
Für das Curry habe ich die Gewürze frisch im Mörser zerstoßen.
For the curry, I freshly crushed the spices in the mortar.
In a military context, a 'Mörser' (mortar) is often 'in Stellung gebracht' (brought into position), 'abgefeuert' (fired), or it 'feuert Granaten' (fires shells). People also speak of 'Mörserbeschuss' (mortar fire/shelling).
Die Einheit brachte den Mörser hinter einem Hügel in Stellung.
The unit brought the mortar into position behind a hill.
mill
'die Mühle' and 'der Mörser' can both be used in the kitchen to make something smaller. A 'Mühle' grinds something, usually with a turning mechanism, for example pepper or coffee. A 'Mörser' is a heavy bowl with a pestle; in it, you crush or grind herbs, spices, or medicines by hand. Learners may confuse the words because the result can be similar. The difference lies in the tool and the movement: in a 'Mühle', something is ground; in a 'Mörser', something is pounded or ground by rubbing.
Im Mörser zerreibt Sofia frische Kräuter für die Soße.
Sofia grinds fresh herbs for the sauce in the mortar.
Für den Kaffee benutze ich jeden Morgen eine kleine Mühle.
For my coffee, I use a small grinder every morning.