a partner in marriage; spouse.
one member of a pair of mated animals.
one of a pair:
I can’t find the mate to this glove.
an associate; fellow worker; comrade; partner (often used in combination):
friend; buddy; pal (often used as an informal term of address):
Let me give you a hand with that, mate.
an aide or helper, as to an artisan; factotum.
a gear, rack, or worm engaging with another gear or worm.
Archaic. an equal in reputation; peer; match.
verb (used with object), mated, mating.
to join as a mate or as mates.
to bring (animals) together for breeding purposes.
to match or marry.
to join, fit, or associate suitably:
to mate thought with daring action.
to connect or link:
a telephone system mated to a computerized information service.
to treat as comparable.
verb (used without object), mated, mating.
to associate as a mate or as mates.
(of animals) to copulate.
(of animals) to pair for the purpose of breeding.
(of a gear, rack, or worm) to engage with another gear or worm; mesh.
Archaic. to consort; keep company.
[meyt] /meɪt/ Chess.
noun, verb (used with object), mated, mating, interjection
(defs 1, 3, 5).
the sexual partner of an animal
a marriage partner
one of a pair of matching items
(in some trades) an assistant: a plumber’s mate
(archaic) a suitable associate
(Austral, slang) mate rates, the reduced rate charged for work done for a friend
to pair (a male and female animal) or (of animals) to pair for reproduction
to marry or join in marriage
(transitive) to join as a pair; match
(chess) See checkmate
an evergreen tree, Ilex paraguariensis, cultivated in South America for its leaves, which contain caffeine: family Aquifoliaceae
a stimulating milky beverage made from the dried leaves of this tree
“associate, fellow, comrade,” mid-14c., also “companion” (late 14c.), from Middle Low German mate, gemate “one eating at the same table, messmate,” from Proto-Germanic *ga-maton “having food (*matiz) together (*ga-),” which is etymologically identical with companion. Cognate with Danish and Swedish mat, German Maat “mate,” Dutch maat, from German. Meaning “one of a wedded pair” is attested from 1540s. Used as a form of address by sailors, laborers, etc., since at least mid-15c. Meaning “officer on a merchant vessel is from late 15c.
in chess, “a condition of checkmate,” c.1300, mat, from Middle French mat, from Old French mater (see mate (v.2)).
c.1500, “to equal, rival,” 1590s as “to match, couple, marry, join in marriage,” from mate (n.1). Also, of animals, “to pair for the purpose of breeding.” Related: Mated; mating.
“checkmate,” c.1300, from Old French mater “to checkmate, defeat, overcome,” from mat “checkmated” (see checkmate (v.)).
mate 1 (māt)
v. mat·ed, mat·ing, mates
A friend of the same sex; a friend or companion: Give me a hand, mate (1380+)
[maht-luh-sey; French matuh-lah-sey] /ˈmɑt ləˌseɪ; French matə lɑˈseɪ/ noun 1. an embossed, compound fabric woven on a dobby or Jacquard loom. /mætˈlæseɪ/ adjective 1. (in textiles) having a raised design, as quilting; embossed
[mey-ter] /ˈmeɪ tər/ noun, plural maters, matres [mey-treez] /ˈmeɪ triz/ (Show IPA) 1. British Informal. 1 . 2. the backing holding the movable parts of an astrolabe. [mah-ter doh-loh-roh-sah; English mey-ter doh-luh-roh-suh] /ˈmɑ tɛr ˌdoʊ loʊˈroʊ sɑ; English ˈmeɪ tər ˌdoʊ ləˈroʊ sə/ noun, Latin. 1. the sorrowful mother. 2. (initial capital letters) the mother […]
[mey-ter-fuh-mil-ee-uh s] /ˌmeɪ tər fəˈmɪl i əs/ noun 1. the mother of a family. /ˌmeɪtəfəˈmɪlɪˌæs/ noun (pl) matresfamilias (ˌmeɪtreɪzfəˈmɪlɪˌæs) 1. the mother of a family or the female head of a family
- Materia alba
materia alba ma·te·ri·a al·ba (mə-tēr’ē-ə āl’bə) n. A white cheeselike accumulation of food debris, microorganisms, desquamated epithelial cells, and blood cells deposited around the teeth at the gumline.