Metate
/mɛˈtɑːteɪ/noun
A flat or slightly concave stone slab used with a mano to grind corn, seeds, and other foods.
Did you know?Metate is a Nahuatl loanword, and the object was central to Mesoamerican daily life, where grinding maize was not just cooking but a foundational act of survival and culture.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Nahuatl
Nah
metlatl
“grinding stone or millstone”
16th Century
Spanish
metate
“borrowed form used for an indigenous grinding stone”
17th–18th Century
English
metate
“a stone slab for grinding corn or grain”
Modern English
English
metate
“a flat stone used with a mano for grinding food”