pestle

1 of 2

noun

pes·​tle ˈpe-səl How to pronounce pestle (audio) ˈpes-tᵊl How to pronounce pestle (audio)
1
: a usually club-shaped implement for pounding or grinding substances in a mortar see mortar illustration
2
: any of various devices for pounding, stamping, or pressing

Illustration of pestle

Illustration of pestle
  • pestle 1 (with mortar)

pestle

2 of 2

verb

pestled; pestling ˈpe-s(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce pestle (audio)
ˈpes-tᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

archaic
: to beat, pound, or pulverize with or as if with a pestle

intransitive verb

: to work with a pestle : use a pestle

Examples of pestle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In a mortar and pestle, crush the coriander seeds and peppercorns until cracked but still coarse. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 Add the egg yolk and a pinch of salt to a mortar, and whisk with a pestle (or blend with an immersion blender) without stopping while drizzling oil, adds Bayo. — Lauren David, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
The CameraJet came out on top on every metric—but the comparison seems a bit like putting a mortar and pestle up against a VitaMix. — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026 This Tony, the future bad-boy tell-all insider of the culinary world, is still touchingly unformed—a mortar full of raw, pasty potential, crying out for life experience to pestle him into shape. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pestle

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pestel, from Anglo-French, from Latin pistillum, from pinsere to pound, crush; akin to Greek ptissein to crush, Sanskrit pinaṣṭi he pounds

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of pestle was in the 14th century

Rhymes for pestle

See All Rhymes for pestle

Browse Nearby Words

pestilentious
pestle
pesto
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pestle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pestle. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pestle

noun
pes·​tle
ˈpes-əl, 
ˈpes-tᵊl
: a usually club-shaped tool for pounding or grinding substances in a mortar

Medical Definition

pestle

noun
pes·​tle
ˈpes-əl also ˈpes-tᵊl
: a usually club-shaped implement for pounding or grinding substances in a mortar

More from Merriam-Webster on pestle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pestle

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