match
1[ mach ]
/ mætʃ /
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noun
a slender piece of wood, cardboard, or other flammable material tipped with a chemical substance that produces fire when rubbed on a rough or chemically prepared surface.
a wick, cord, or the like, prepared to burn at an even rate, used to fire cannon, gunpowder, etc.
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Origin of match
1First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English meccche, macche “wick,” from Middle French meiche, Old French me(s)che, from unattested Vulgar Latin mesca “lamp wick,” variant of Latin myxa, from Greek mýxa “mucus, nostril, nozzle of a lamp”
Other definitions for match (2 of 2)
match2
[ mach ]
/ mætʃ /
noun
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
OTHER WORDS FOR match
1 dead ringer, doppelgänger, double, image, likeness, look-alike, picture, spit and image, twin; carbon copy, clone, copy, duplicate, facsimile, replica.
Origin of match
2First recorded before 900; Middle English ma(c)che, me(c)che “husband, wife, mate, equal,” Old English gemæcca, gemecca “mate, fellow, consort”
OTHER WORDS FROM match
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use match in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for match (1 of 2)
match1
/ (mætʃ) /
noun
verb (mainly tr)
Derived forms of match
matchable, adjectivematcher, nounmatching, adjectiveWord Origin for match
Old English gemæcca spouse; related to Old High German gimmaha wife, Old Norse maki mate
British Dictionary definitions for match (2 of 2)
match2
/ (mætʃ) /
noun
a thin strip of wood or cardboard tipped with a chemical that ignites by friction when rubbed on a rough surface or a surface coated with a suitable chemicalSee safety match
a length of cord or wick impregnated with a chemical so that it burns slowly. It is used to fire cannons, explosives, etc
Word Origin for match
C14: from Old French meiche, perhaps from Latin myxa wick, from Greek muxa lamp nozzle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Other Idioms and Phrases with match
match
see meet one's match; mix and match; whole ball of wax (shooting match).
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.