A mortar is a kind of cannon which fires on targets indirectly through high-arch trajectories. Mortars are typically large, squat, and upwards facing, which is why Trim makes use of Walter’s boots to build a model pair.
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Mortar Term Timeline in Tristram Shandy
The timeline below shows where the term Mortar appears in Tristram Shandy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 3: Chapters 22-28
Chapter 22. Trim, having finished building two new model mortars for Toby, is too excited to wait and enters the parlor to show them to...
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Chapter 26. Returning to the parlor, Tristram explains how the mortars turned Toby’s thoughts to military matters, leading to his assumption that Dr. Slop is building...
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