1. A flat stone tool used in Mexico and Central America for grinding corn, spices, and other foods, typically used with a hand-held stone roller called a mano.
Usage: Also spelled 'metlatl' in Nahuatl origin; Common in Mexican and Central American cooking

Examples

• My grandmother still uses a traditional metate to grind corn for tortillas.
• The metate is an ancient kitchen tool that has been used for thousands of years.
• She placed the dried chiles on the metate and began grinding them with the mano.
• Many Mexican cooks prefer the flavor of spices ground on a metate rather than in a blender.
• The stone metate requires skill and strength to use effectively.