from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Mortar \Mor"tar\, n. [OE. morter, AS. mort[=e]re, L. mortarium:
cf. F. mortier mortar. Cf. sense 2 (below), also 2d {Mortar},
{Martel}, {Morter}.]
1. A strong vessel, commonly in form of an inverted bell, in
which substances are pounded or rubbed with a pestle.
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2. [F. mortier, fr. L. mortarium mortar (for trituarating).]
(Mil.) A short piece of ordnance, used for throwing bombs,
carcasses, shells, etc., at high angles of elevation, as
45[deg], and even higher; -- so named from its resemblance
in shape to the utensil above described.
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{Mortar bed} (Mil.), a framework of wood and iron, suitably
hollowed out to receive the breech and trunnions of a
mortar.
{Mortar boat} or {Mortar vessel} (Naut.), a boat strongly
built and adapted to carrying a mortar or mortars for
bombarding; a bomb ketch.
{Mortar piece}, a mortar. [Obs.] --Shak.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Bomb \Bomb\, n. [F. bombe bombshell, fr. L. bombus a humming or
buzzing noise, Gr. ?.]
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1. A great noise; a hollow sound. [Obs.]
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A pillar of iron . . . which if you had struck,
would make . . . a great bomb in the chamber
beneath. --Bacon.
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2. (Mil.) A shell; esp. a spherical shell, like those fired
from mortars. See {Shell}.
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3. A bomb ketch.
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{Bomb chest} (Mil.), a chest filled with bombs, or only with
gunpowder, placed under ground, to cause destruction by
its explosion.
{Bomb ketch}, {Bomb vessel} (Naut.), a small ketch or vessel,
very strongly built, on which mortars are mounted to be
used in naval bombardments; -- called also {mortar
vessel}.
{Bomb lance}, a lance or harpoon with an explosive head, used
in whale fishing.
{Volcanic bomb}, a mass of lava of a spherical or pear shape.
"I noticed volcanic bombs." --Darwin.
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