mate

[ meyt ]

/ meɪt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR mate ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

QUIZZES

Can You Ace This Quiz About “Compliment” vs. “Complement”?

Take this quiz to see if you really know the difference between “compliment” and “complement"!

Question 1 of 11

“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.

True

False

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of mate

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle Low German; replacing Middle English mette, Old English gemetta messmate, guest. See meat

OTHER WORDS FROM mate

mate·less, adjective

Words nearby mate

matchmark, matchstick, matchup, matchwood, matchy-matchy, mate, mate's rates, matelassé, matelot, matelote, mater

Definition for mate (2 of 5)

mate²

[ meyt ]

/ meɪt /

Chess.

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

checkmate(defs 1, 3, 5).

Origin of mate

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

Definition for mate (3 of 5)

mate³

[ mah-tey, mat-ey ]

/ ˈmɑ teɪ, ˈmæt eɪ /

noun

maté.

Definition for mate (4 of 5)

maté

[ mah-tey, mat-ey, mah-tey ]

/ ˈmɑ teɪ, ˈmæt eɪ, mɑˈteɪ /

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 mate.

Also called Paraguay tea, yerba maté.

Origin of maté

1710–20; < American Spanish mate, orig. the vessel in which the herb is steeped < Quechua mati

Definition for mate (5 of 5)

Mat.E.

Materials Engineer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for mate

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
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
Read the profile of a 36-year-old man, and he'll say he's looking for a mate between, oh, 26 and 42.
Heartache by the Numbers and OkCupid’s Founder Has Got Yours|Will Doig|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Benedict Cumberbatch is a mate of mine, and we did a charity show at the Old Vic together,” said Redmayne.
Oscar's Battle of the Brits: Pals Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne Vie for the Gold|Marlow Stern|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But no worries, mate, you will make it all up by selling T-shirts at your gigs.
Five Lessons the Faltering Music Industry Could Learn From TV|Ted Gioia|August 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A mate was now sent into each, to ascertain what might be discovered to windward.
Sea Stories|Various
His mate broke into a laugh, but made no attempt to rescue him.
Chatterbox, 1905.|Various
I cannot desert my aunt, nor can I quit the Swash alone in company with her mate.
Jack Tier or The Florida Reef|James Fenimore Cooper
The knife was uplifted as the mate felt the grip of the man upon his collar, but the blow was not struck.
Ralph Granger's Fortunes|William Perry Brown
Only from far away came the murmur of the sluggish waters of the Maros, and from its shores the call of a heron to its mate.
A Bride of the Plains|Baroness Emmuska Orczy

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

Medical definitions for mate

mate

[ māt ]

n.

A spouse.

Either of a pair of animals or birds that associate in order to propagate.

Either of a pair of animals brought together for breeding.

v.

To become joined in marriage.

To be paired for reproducing; breed.

To copulate.

mate

noun

verb (used with object), mat·ed, mat·ing.

verb (used without object), mat·ed, mat·ing.

QUIZZES

Origin of mate

OTHER WORDS FROM mate

Words nearby mate

Definition for mate (2 of 5)

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

Origin of mate

Definition for mate (3 of 5)

noun

Definition for mate (4 of 5)

noun

Origin of maté

Definition for mate (5 of 5)

Words related to mate

Example sentences from the Web for mate

British Dictionary definitions for mate (1 of 3)

noun

verb

Derived forms of mate

Word Origin for mate

British Dictionary definitions for mate (2 of 3)

noun, verb

British Dictionary definitions for mate (3 of 3)

mate

noun

Word Origin for maté

Medical definitions for mate

n.

v.