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• mate
  mate

  noun

  a partner in marriage; spouse.
• maté
  maté

  noun

  an evergreen tree, Ilex paraguariensis, cultivated in South America for its leaves, which contain caffeine: family Aquifoliaceae

mate

¹ American  

[meyt] / meɪt /

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)

mated, mating

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.

verb (used without object)

mated, mating

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.

mate ² American  

[meyt] / meɪt /

noun

mated, mating

1. checkmate.

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mate ³ American  

[mah-tey, mat-ey] / ˈmɑ teɪ, ˈmæt eɪ /

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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mate ¹ British  

/ meɪt /

noun

1. the sexual partner of an animal

2. a marriage partner

3. 1. informal a friend, usually of the same sex: often used between males in direct address

   2. (in combination) an associate, colleague, fellow sharer, etc

      a 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 assistant

   a plumber's mate

7. archaic a suitable associate

8. 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

maté ² British  

/ ˈmæteɪ, ˈmɑːteɪ /

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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mate ³ British  

/ meɪt /

noun

1. chess See checkmate

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Other Word Forms

• mateless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of mate¹

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

Origin of mate²

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

Origin of mate³

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

Explanation

Someone's mate is their spouse, partner, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Your grandmother's long-term sweetheart is her mate. Awwww. A husband or wife is one kind of mate, and animals have mates too, chosen for reproduction and sometimes to assist in raising babies. Anything that comes in a pair — like socks, contacts, shoes, or earrings — also has a mate. Your pal or buddy can be called a mate as well. As a verb, to mate means "to breed" or "to reproduce." In Middle Low German, mate means "one eating at the same table."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mate maté mated mating

"I think he's been a great running mate and he's been a great vice president so far, and I think he's earned it."

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

With the exception of around a two-week period, most sailors on the Petersen still had access to email on shared computers with a secure internet connection, said Shepardson, the machinist’s mate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

"I didn't want to send him up because he is a mate as well as a referee," Dean said.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

He was interrogated alongside his running mate in the presence of their lawyers, he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

If the pandas are too isolated, they might be unable to find a mate or a source of food.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh

Santaolalla is not unaware that his compatriot isn’t everyone’s cup of maté.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2021

No wonder Sanchez said she drank the highly caffeinated South American drink maté on the shoot every day — a fitting beverage for a show in which each episode feels like a shot of espresso.

From New York Times ● Mar. 19, 2021

You’ll canter with the cowboys across vast grasslands, and trade stories over maté.

From Time ● Sep. 25, 2017

There are meals of carne asada and manioc soup; parleys over endless rounds of yerba maté; social scandals that erupt at horse races; deadly tropical fevers; and red dust, relentless sun, and clouds of mosquitoes.

From The New Yorker ● Jan. 15, 2017

From "the Mont" we went to Antonina, in Brazil, for a cargo of maté, a sort of tea, which, prepared as a drink, is wholesome and refreshing.

From Voyage of the Liberdade by Joshua Slocum

Behind the crosshatched front grille lives a well-tempered, turbocharged 3.5-liter V6, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and permanent all-wheel drive, including a digitally controlled limited-slip differential.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

However, “beyond that there are vague fears that the AI providers would either be directly competitive or be mated with other solutions to imitate Palantir.”

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

But the eagles brought sticks, fluff and prey to the nest, and mated — all signs Jackie might lay new eggs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026

At the top of the list is the California deermouse, which pairs for life once mated and achieves a full sibling rate of 100%.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 2026

“Gurrrrr grrrr,” it goes, with a description just next to it: Contentment; if a kitten and an apple pie mated, this is what it would sound and smell like.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation is hoping 2026 could be a “bumper summer of butterflies” because warm, dry days mean uninterrupted foraging, mating and egg-laying.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026

Every winter, a sliver of the South Australian coast hosts the world's largest mating event for giant cuttlefish.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

In nature, it’s believed that some beetles are shiny for camouflage, protection and mating purposes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Their pleasant mating call, Mr. de Greef writes, sounds like “a distant ferryboat whistle.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

“Hark? Do I hear the mating call of a feathered friend of the marshland?”

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

Related Words

• acquaintance
• bride
• buddy
• classmate
• companion
• comrade
• coworker
• playmate
• roommate
• schoolmate
• spouse