matting

[ mat-ing ]

/ ˈmæt ɪŋ /

noun

a coarse fabric of rushes, grass, straw, hemp, or the like, used for floor covering, wrapping material, etc.

material for mats.

mats collectively.

the making of mats.

Nearby words

matthews, matthias, matthias i corvinus, matthiessen, mattify, matting, mattins, matto grosso, mattock, mattoid, mattoon

Origin of matting

First recorded in 1675–85; mat¹ + -ing¹

Definition for matting (2 of 7)

matting

[ mat-ing ]

/ ˈmæt ɪŋ /

noun

a dull, slightly roughened surface, free from polish, produced by the use of a matte.

Origin of matting

First recorded in 1680–90; matte¹ + -ing¹

Definition for matting (3 of 7)

mat

[ mat ]

/ mæt /

noun

a piece of fabric made of plaited or woven rushes, straw, hemp, or similar fiber, or of some other pliant material, as rubber, used as a protective covering on a floor or other surface, to wipe the shoes on, etc.

a smaller piece of material, often ornamental, set under a dish of food, a lamp, vase, etc.

Sports.

the padded canvas covering the entire floor of a wrestling ring, for protecting the contestants from injury when thrown.
a thick pad placed on the floor for the protection of tumblers and others engaged in gymnastic sports.

a thickly growing or thick and tangled mass, as of hair or weeds.

a sack made of matting, as for coffee or sugar.

a slablike footing of concrete, especially one for an entire building.

a heavy mesh reinforcement for a concrete slab.

verb (used with object), mat·ted, mat·ting.

to cover with or as if with mats or matting.

to form into a mat, as by interweaving.

verb (used without object), mat·ted, mat·ting.

to become entangled; form tangled masses.

Origin of mat

before 900; Middle English, Old English matte < Late Latin matta mat of rushes < Semitic; compare Hebrew mittāh bed

Related forms

mat·less, adjective

Definition for matting (4 of 7)

matt

[ mat ]

/ mæt /

adjective, noun, verb (used with object)

matte¹.

Definition for matting (5 of 7)

matte

or mat, matt

[ mat ]

/ mæt /

adjective

having a dull or lusterless surface: matte paint; a matte complexion; a photograph with a matte finish.

noun

a dull or dead surface, often slightly roughened, as on metals, paint, paper, or glass.

a tool for producing such a surface.

Metallurgy. an unfinished metallic product of the smelting of certain sulfide ores, especially those of copper.

Movies. matte shot.

verb (used with object), mat·ted, mat·ting.

to finish with a matte surface.

Origin of matte

1640–50; < French mat (masculine), matte (feminine), Old French < Late Latin mattus moist, soft, weak, perhaps < *maditus, derivative of Latin madēre to be wet

Definition for matting (6 of 7)

mat

[ mat ]

/ mæt /

noun

a piece of cardboard or other material placed over or under a drawing, painting, photograph, etc., to serve as a frame or provide a border between the picture and the frame.

verb (used with object), mat·ted, mat·ting.

to provide (a picture) with a mat.

Origin of mat

1835–40; apparently mat¹, influenced by matte¹

Definition for matting (7 of 7)

mat

[ mat ]

/ mæt /

adjective, noun, verb, mat·ted, mat·ting.

matte¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for matting

She drops down on her knees, and bows so low that her head touches the matting.
Brooks's Readers, Third Year|Stratton D. Brooks
This was covered with matting and the edges and corners finished with wood strips, 1/2 in.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
The floor was covered with matting, dyed yellow, and worked into a striking pattern by means of different coloured feathers.
The Strand Magazine - Vol. 1 - No. 5 - May 1891|Various
His place was on the outskirts of the town, and was a collection of tumble-down shanties made of straw, matting, and boards.
Egyptian Birds|Charles Whymper

It was also covered with some kind of matting, and several doors opened into the corridor.
Across the Spanish Main|Harry Collingwood

British Dictionary definitions for matting (1 of 8)

matting

/ (ˈmætɪŋ) /

noun

a coarsely woven fabric, usually made of a natural fibre such as straw or hemp and used as a floor covering, packing material, etc

the act or process of making mats

material for mats

British Dictionary definitions for matting (2 of 8)

matting

/ (ˈmætɪŋ) /

noun

another word for mat 2 (def. 1)

the process of producing a mat finish

British Dictionary definitions for matting (3 of 8)

matt

matte

/ (mæt) /

adjective, noun, verb

variant spellings of mat 2 (def. 2), mat 1 (def. 3), mat 2 (def. 5)

British Dictionary definitions for matting (4 of 8)

matte

/ (mæt) /

noun

an impure fused material consisting of metal sulphides produced during the smelting of a sulphide ore

Word Origin for matte

C19: from French

British Dictionary definitions for matting (5 of 8)

matte

/ (mæt) /

noun

films television a mask used to blank out part of an image so that another image can be superimposed

British Dictionary definitions for matting (6 of 8)

mat

/ (mæt) /

noun

a thick flat piece of fabric used as a floor covering, a place to wipe one's shoes, etc

a smaller pad of material used to protect a surface from the heat, scratches, etc, of an object placed upon it

a large piece of thick padded material put on the floor as a surface for wrestling, judo, or gymnastic sports

NZ a Māori cloak

go back to the mat NZ to abandon urban civilization

any surface or mass that is densely interwoven or tangleda mat of grass and weeds

the solid part of a lace design

a heavy net of cable or rope laid over a blasting site to prevent the scatter of debris
a heavy mesh of reinforcement in a concrete slab
(esp US) a steel or concrete raft serving as a footing to support a post

civil engineering short for mattress (def. 3)

verb mats, matting or matted

to tangle or weave or become tangled or woven into a dense mass

(tr) to cover with a mat or mats

Derived Forms

matless, adjective

Word Origin for mat

Old English matte; related to Old High German matta

British Dictionary definitions for matting (7 of 8)

mat

/ (mæt) /

noun

a border of cardboard, cloth, etc, placed around a picture to act as a frame or as a contrast between picture and frame

a surface, as on metal or paint

adjective

having a dull, lustreless, or roughened surface

verb mats, matting or matted (tr)

to furnish (a picture) with a mat

to give (a surface) a mat finish

Also (for senses 2, 4): matt

Word Origin for mat

C17: from French, literally: dead; see checkmate

British Dictionary definitions for matting (8 of 8)

mat

/ (mæt) /

noun

printing informal short for matrix (def. 5)

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

Idioms and Phrases with matting

mat

see go to the mat; welcome mat.

matting

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of matting

Definition for matting (2 of 7)

matting

noun

Origin of matting

Definition for matting (3 of 7)

mat

noun

verb (used with object), mat·ted, mat·ting.

verb (used without object), mat·ted, mat·ting.

Origin of mat

Related forms

Definition for matting (4 of 7)

matt

adjective, noun, verb (used with object)

Definition for matting (5 of 7)

matte

or mat, matt

adjective

noun

verb (used with object), mat·ted, mat·ting.

Origin of matte

Definition for matting (6 of 7)

mat

noun

verb (used with object), mat·ted, mat·ting.

Origin of mat

Definition for matting (7 of 7)

mat

adjective, noun, verb, mat·ted, mat·ting.

Examples from the Web for matting

British Dictionary definitions for matting (1 of 8)

matting

noun

British Dictionary definitions for matting (2 of 8)

matting

noun

British Dictionary definitions for matting (3 of 8)

matt

matte

adjective, noun, verb

British Dictionary definitions for matting (4 of 8)

matte

noun

Word Origin for matte

British Dictionary definitions for matting (5 of 8)

matte

noun

British Dictionary definitions for matting (6 of 8)

mat

noun

verb mats, matting or matted

Derived Forms

Word Origin for mat

British Dictionary definitions for matting (7 of 8)

mat

noun

adjective

verb mats, matting or matted (tr)

Word Origin for mat

British Dictionary definitions for matting (8 of 8)

mat

noun

Idioms and Phrases with matting

mat