Definition

1. Noun:
   • Mortar: A hard bowl, typically made of stone, wood, or metal, in which substances are placed to be crushed or ground into a powder using a pestle.
   • Mill / Grinder: A machine or device used for grinding or crushing materials, such as a coffee mill or a pepper mill.
   • A batch / A load: The quantity of material that fits into a mortar or mill for one session of processing (e.g., one mortar-load of rice).
   • (Military) Howitzer: A short-barreled artillery piece that fires shells at high angles, used to hit targets behind cover.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Mortar):
  • Bà ấy giã muối trong cối đá. (She pounds salt in a stone mortar.)
  • Cối xay tiêu này rất tiện lợi. (This pepper mill is very convenient.)
• Noun (Batch):
  • Họ xay một cối ngô cho bữa tối. (They ground one batch of corn for dinner.)
• Noun (Howitzer):
  • Đơn vị pháo binh được trang bị nhiều cối hiện đại. (The artillery unit is equipped with many modern howitzers.)

Advanced Usage

• "cối xay": Refers specifically to a mill or grinder, often hand-cranked or mechanical.
  • Cối xay gió được dùng để bơm nước. (Windmills are used to pump water.)
• "cối giã": Specifically refers to a mortar used for pounding, often larger and used with a heavy pestle.
  • Cối giã gạo thường làm bằng gỗ cứng. (Rice-pounding mortars are usually made of hard wood.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chày và cối (n): Pestle and mortar (a common pair).
  • Chày và cối là dụng cụ nhà bếp truyền thống. (The pestle and mortar are traditional kitchen tools.)
• Cối xay cà phê (n): Coffee grinder.
  • Anh ấy thích dùng cối xay cà phê bằng tay. (He prefers to use a manual coffee grinder.)

Synonyms

• Mortar: (for crushing/grinding)
• Grinder / Mill: (for machines)
• Howitzer: (for artillery)

Related Idioms

• Chày cối: Literally "pestle and mortar," often used metaphorically to describe a couple who frequently argue or bicker, implying a noisy, clashing relationship.
  • Hai vợ chồng ấy suốt ngày chày cối với nhau. (That husband and wife are always bickering with each other.)

noun

1. Mortar