n.
Pronunciation: ' pe-s ə l, ' pes-t ə l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English pestel, from Anglo-French, from Latin pistillum, from pinsere to pound, crush; akin to Greek ptissein to crush, Sanskrit pina ș ṭ i he pounds
Date: 14th century
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