mate

[ meyt ]

/ meɪt /

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See synonyms for mate on Thesaurus.com

Definition of mate

noun

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.

a counterpart.

an associate; fellow worker; comrade; partner (often used in combination): classmate; roommate.

friend; buddy; pal (often used as an informal term of address): Let me give you a hand with that, mate.

Nautical.

first mate.
any of a number of officers of varying degrees of rank subordinate to the master of a merchant ship.
an assistant to a warrant officer or other functionary on a ship.

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), mat·ed, mat·ing.

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), mat·ed, mat·ing.

to associate as a mate or as mates.

(of animals) to copulate.

(of animals) to pair for the purpose of breeding.

to marry.

(of a gear, rack, or worm) to engage with another gear or worm; mesh.

Archaic. to consort; keep company.

QUIZ

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Origin of mate

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English mate, maite “friend, companion, shipmate, mate (ship's officer), fellow creature,” from Middle Low German mate, gemate “messmate”, replacing Middle English mette, mete “table companion, messmate, partner,” Old English gemetta “messmate, guest”; see origin at meat

OTHER WORDS FROM mate

mateless, adjective

Words nearby mate

match point, matchstick, match-up, matchwood, matchy-matchy, mate, matelassé, matelot, matelote, mater, mater dolorosa

Other definitions for mate (2 of 4)

mate²

[ meyt ]

/ meɪt /

Chess.

noun, verb (used with object), interjection mat·ed, mat·ing,

checkmate (defs. 1, 3, 5).

Origin of mate

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb maten, matein, matten “to checkmate, defeat,” from Old French mater, ultimately from Persian; see origin at checkmate

Other definitions for mate (3 of 4)

mate³

[ mah-tey, mat-ey ]

/ ˈmɑ teɪ, ˈmæt eɪ /

noun

a tealike South American beverage made from the dried leaves of an evergreen tree.

a South American tree, Ilex paraguariensis, that is the source of this beverage.

the dried leaves of this tree.

Also called Paraguay tea, yerba mate .

Origin of mate

First recorded in 1710–20; from American Spanish, from Quechua mati, the calabash gourd in which the herb is steeped

Other definitions for mate (4 of 4)

Mat.E.

abbreviation

Materials Engineer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use mate in a sentence

The court ruled that presidential contender Howie Hawkins and his running mate, Angela Walker, did not qualify for the ballot because the party did not submit signed filing papers in person, as required by state rules.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court strikes Green Party presidential ticket from ballot, clearing the way for mail ballots to be sent out|Amy Gardner|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
We just want to believe that one day we’ll again have the luxury of being annoyed by the ping of an elevator, that one colleague who aggressively punches the keyboard, and even a cubicle mate’s breakfast chomping.
People who really miss the office are listening to its sounds at home|Tanya Basu|September 10, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The helpers assist in raising their younger siblings until they can find a territory—and mates—of their own.
Blood, death, and eye gouging: welcome to the world of acorn woodpeckers|Kate Baggaley|September 9, 2020|Popular-Science
Females, who are more solitary compared to males, chirp to attract mates.
How a 19-year-old lion fathered 35 cubs in 18 months|Tom McNamara|August 27, 2020|Popular-Science

Unfit organisms are weeded out not just by environmental pressures, but also by the competition for mates, which is replicated on a microscopic level by the competition among sperm to fertilize an egg.
Sex Is Driven by the Impetus to Change - Issue 88: Love & Sex|Jill Neimark|August 12, 2020|Nautilus
And then I said, ‘Well, chief, when the admiral comes aboard, the first mate has to pipe him in.’
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When they invade new territory, populations are low, and the queen has limited mate options.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mating with a cousin or brother is safer than risking life and limb to mate with an outsider.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sure, your cubicle mate, neighbor, and aunt all own a Fitbit or JawBone fitness tracker.
Nothing Says I Love You Like Data|The Daily Beast|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The boy feels rejected and confused, and then hits on a Christmas morning solution, delivering a penguin mate for his penguin.
How Monty The Penguin Won Christmas: Britain’s Epic, Emotional Commercials|Tim Teeman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he returned to the hotel he kissed his incongruous room-mate with the gentleness of a woman.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
A ghostly mate would be no very pleasant bridegroom for a young lady.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
He laughed at her, and told her that he had abandoned the modern method of winning a mate, and gone back to the primitive mode.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Her husband always called her the Bo'sun's Mate in Camp, because it was her duty, among others, to pipe all hands to meals.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
Once more I began to realize that I was human, and to cast about for the mate that must surely be roaming in search of me.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for mate (1 of 3)

mate¹

/ (meɪt) /

noun

the sexual partner of an animal

a marriage partner

informal, mainly British, Australian and NZ a friend, usually of the same sex: often used between males in direct address
(in combination) an associate, colleague, fellow sharer, etca classmate; a flatmate

one of a pair of matching items

nautical

short for first mate
any officer below the master on a commercial ship
a warrant officer's assistant on a ship

(in some trades) an assistanta plumber's mate

archaic a suitable associate

mate rates Australian slang the reduced rate charged for work done for a friend

verb

to pair (a male and female animal) or (of animals) to pair for reproduction

to marry or join in marriage

(tr) to join as a pair; match

Derived forms of mate

mateless, adjective

Word Origin for mate

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

British Dictionary definitions for mate (2 of 3)

mate²

/ (meɪt) /

noun, verb

chess See checkmate

British Dictionary definitions for mate (3 of 3)

maté

mate

/ (ˈmɑːteɪ, ˈmæteɪ) /

noun

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

Modern Greek name: Paraguay tea, yerba, yerba maté

Word Origin for maté

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

mate

Definition of mate

Origin of mate

OTHER WORDS FROM mate

Words nearby mate

Other definitions for mate (2 of 4)

Origin of mate

Other definitions for mate (3 of 4)

Origin of mate

Other definitions for mate (4 of 4)

Words related to mate

How to use mate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mate (1 of 3)

Derived forms of mate

Word Origin for mate

British Dictionary definitions for mate (2 of 3)

British Dictionary definitions for mate (3 of 3)

mate

Word Origin for maté