matchmaker

¹ American  

[mach-mey-ker] / ˈmætʃˌmeɪ kər /

noun

1. a person who arranges or tries to arrange marriages by introducing possible mates.

2. a person who arranges matches match for athletic contests, especially prizefights and wrestling matches. match.

3. any person, organization, etc., that brings two parties together, as to effect a sale or other transaction.

   an agent serving as a matchmaker between buyers and sellers.

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matchmaker ² American  

[mach-mey-ker] / ˈmætʃˌmeɪ kər /

noun

1. a person who makes matches match for burning.

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matchmaker ¹ British  

/ ˈmætʃˌmeɪkə /

noun

1. a person who brings together suitable partners for marriage

2. a person who arranges competitive matches

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matchmaker ² British  

/ ˈmætʃˌmeɪkə /

noun

1. a person who makes matches (for igniting)

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Other Word Forms

• matchmaking noun

Etymology

Origin of matchmaker¹

First recorded in 1630–40; match ² + maker

Origin of matchmaker²

First recorded in 1635–45; match ¹ + maker

Example Sentences

And not like this—with a matchmaker involved.

From Literature

It will also debut an AI agent tentatively named Bee, which Herd styled as a “personal dating assistant and matchmaker.”

From Barron's

So he and Harvey decided to play matchmaker.

From Los Angeles Times

Aisha adjusted her beige veil over her circular-shaped headgear as a matchmaker scrolled through rows of dozens of pictures on a computer to find a man she could be interested in as a potential match.

From Barron's

“Your gran, she sounds like she’s lost the plot, eh? There’s a war going on, the Germans are coming, and she’s playing matchmaker?”

From Literature

Related Words

• arbitrator
• emissary
• intermediary
• liaison
• mediator
• messenger
• negotiator
• proxy