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mate1

[meyt]
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noun
  1. a partner in marriage; spouse.
  2. one member of a pair of mated animals.
  3. one of a pair: I can't find the mate to this glove.
  4. a counterpart.
  5. an associate; fellow worker; comrade; partner (often used in combination): classmate; roommate.
  6. friend; buddy; pal (often used as an informal term of address): Let me give you a hand with that, mate.
  7. Nautical.
    1. first mate.
    2. any of a number of officers of varying degrees of rank subordinate to the master of a merchant ship.
    3. an assistant to a warrant officer or other functionary on a ship.
  8. an aide or helper, as to an artisan; factotum.
  9. a gear, rack, or worm engaging with another gear or worm.
  10. Archaic. an equal in reputation; peer; match.
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verb (used with object), mat·ed, mat·ing.
  1. to join as a mate or as mates.
  2. to bring (animals) together for breeding purposes.
  3. to match or marry.
  4. to join, fit, or associate suitably: to mate thought with daring action.
  5. to connect or link: a telephone system mated to a computerized information service.
  6. to treat as comparable.
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verb (used without object), mat·ed, mat·ing.
  1. to associate as a mate or as mates.
  2. (of animals) to copulate.
  3. (of animals) to pair for the purpose of breeding.
  4. to marry.
  5. (of a gear, rack, or worm) to engage with another gear or worm; mesh.
  6. Archaic. to consort; keep company.
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Origin of mate1

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle Low German; replacing Middle English mette, Old English gemetta messmate, guest. See meat
Related formsmate·less, adjective

mate2

[meyt]Chess.
noun, verb (used with object), mat·ed, mat·ing, interjection
  1. checkmate(defs 1, 3, 5).
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Origin of mate2

1175–1225; Middle English mat defeated (adj.), defeat (noun) < Old French ≪ Persian; see checkmate

mate3

[mah-tey, mat-ey]
noun
  1. maté.
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maté

[mah-tey, mat-ey, mah-tey]
noun
  1. a tealike South American beverage made from the dried leaves of an evergreen tree.
  2. a South American tree, Ilex paraguariensis, that is the source of this beverage.
  3. the dried leaves of this tree.
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Also mate.

Origin of maté

1710–20; < American Spanish mate, orig. the vessel in which the herb is steeped < Quechua mati
Also called Paraguay tea, yerba maté.

Mat.E.

  1. Materials Engineer.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

comradeacquaintancebuddycompanionbrideroommateschoolmatespousecoworkerplaymateclassmatecolleaguesidekickconcomitanthelpertwincohortintimateduplicateassistant

Examples from the Web for mate

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • From his dress, and the commands he appeared to be issuing, Robert judged that it was the mate.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • The mate had done what he could to prejudice the captain against the boy he hated.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • The mate with one of the crew came ashore in the boat for help and a doctor.

  • No one was up on board of her, and I was obliged to give the mate a call, myself.

    Ned Myers

    James Fenimore Cooper

  • About four, I saw the land myself and pointed it out to the mate.

    Ned Myers

    James Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for mate

mate1

noun
  1. the sexual partner of an animal
  2. a marriage partner
    1. informal, mainly British, Australian and NZa friend, usually of the same sex: often used between males in direct address
    2. (in combination)an associate, colleague, fellow sharer, etca classmate; a flatmate
  4. one of a pair of matching items
  5. nautical
    1. short for first mate
    2. any officer below the master on a commercial ship
    3. a warrant officer's assistant on a ship
  6. (in some trades) an assistanta plumber's mate
  7. archaic a suitable associate
  8. mate rates Australian slang the reduced rate charged for work done for a friend
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verb
  1. to pair (a male and female animal) or (of animals) to pair for reproduction
  2. to marry or join in marriage
  3. (tr) to join as a pair; match
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Derived Formsmateless, adjective

Word Origin

C14: from Middle Low German; related to Old English gemetta table-guest, from mete meat

mate2

noun, verb
  1. chess See checkmate
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maté

mate

noun
  1. an evergreen tree, Ilex paraguariensis, cultivated in South America for its leaves, which contain caffeine: family Aquifoliaceae
  2. a stimulating milky beverage made from the dried leaves of this tree
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Modern Greek name: Paraguay tea, yerba, yerba maté

Word Origin

C18: from American Spanish (originally referring to the vessel in which the drink was brewed), from Quechua máti gourd
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for mate

n.1

"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.

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v.2

"checkmate," c.1300, from Old French mater "to checkmate, defeat, overcome," from mat "checkmated" (see checkmate (v.)).

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v.1

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.

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n.2

in chess, "a condition of checkmate," c.1300, mat, from Middle French mat, from Old French mater (see mate (v.2)).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
mate in Medicine

mate

(māt)
n.
  1. A spouse.
  2. Either of a pair of animals or birds that associate in order to propagate.
  3. Either of a pair of animals brought together for breeding.
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v.
  1. To become joined in marriage.
  2. To be paired for reproducing; breed.
  3. To copulate.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.