the substance or substances of which any physical object consists or is composed: the matter of which the earth is made.
2.
physical or corporeal substance in general, whether solid, liquid, or gaseous, esp. as distinguished from incorporeal substance, as spirit or mind, or from qualities, actions, and the like.
3.
something that occupies space.
4.
a particular kind of substance: coloring matter.
5.
a situation, state, affair, or business: a trivial matter.
6.
an amount or extent reckoned approximately: a matter of 10 miles.
7.
something of consequence: matter for serious thought.
8.
importance or significance: decisions of little matter.
9.
difficulty; trouble (usually prec. by the): There is something the matter.
10.
ground, reason, or cause: a matter for complaint.
11.
the material or substance of a discourse, book, etc., often as distinguished from its form.
12.
things put down in words, esp. printed: reading matter.
13.
things sent by mail: postal matter.
14.
a substance discharged by a living body, esp. pus.
15.
Philosophy.
a.
that which by integrative organization forms chemical substances and living things.
b.
Aristotelianism. that which relates to form as potentiality does to actuality.
16.
Law. statement or allegation.
17.
Printing.
a.
material for work; copy.
b.
type set up.
18.
Christian Science. the concept of substance shaped by the limitations of the human mind.
–verb (used without object)
19.
to be of importance; signify: It matters little.
20.
Pathology. to suppurate.
—Idioms
21.
a matter of life and death, something of vital or crucial importance.
22.
as a matter of fact, in reality; actually; in fact: As a matter of fact, there is no substance to that rumor.
23.
for that matter, as far as that is concerned; as for that: For that matter, you are no better qualified to judge than I. Also, for the matter of that.
24.
no matter,
a.
regardless or irrespective of: We'll never finish on time, no matter how hard we work.
b.
it is unimportant; it makes no difference: No matter, this string will do as well as any other.
[Origin: 1175–1225; ME mater(e), materie < AF, OF mat(i)ere, materie < L māteria woody part of a tree, material, substance, deriv. of mātermother1]
—Related forms
mat·ter·ful, adjective
mat·ter·less, adjective
—Synonyms 1.Matter,material,stuff,substance refer to that of which physical objects are composed (though all these terms are also used abstractly). Matter, as distinct from mind and spirit, is a broad word that applies to anything perceived, or known to be occupying space: solid matter; gaseous matter. Material usually means some definite kind, quality, or quantity of matter, esp. as intended for use: woolen material; a house built of good materials. Stuff, a less technical word, with approximately the same meanings as material, is characterized by being on an informal level when it refers to physical objects (Dynamite is queer stuff), and on a literary or poetic one when it is used abstractly (the stuff that dreams are made on). Substance is the matter that composes a thing, thought of in relation to its essential properties: a sticky substance. 5. question. 7. concern. 8. moment. 11. subject, topic. 19. count.
Something that occupies space and can be perceived by one or more senses; a physical body, a physical substance, or the universe as a whole.
Physics Something that has mass and exists as a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.
Composed type.
Material to be set in type.
A specific type of substance: inorganic matter.
Discharge or waste, such as pus or feces, from a living organism.
Philosophy In Aristotelian and Scholastic use, that which is in itself undifferentiated and formless and which, as the subject of change and development, receives form and becomes substance.
The substance of thought or expression as opposed to the manner in which it is stated or conveyed.
A subject of concern, feeling, or action: matters of foreign policy; a personal matter. See Synonyms at subject.
Trouble or difficulty: What's the matter with your car?
An approximated quantity, amount, or extent: The construction will last a matter of years.
Something printed or otherwise set down in writing: reading matter.
Something sent by mail.
Printing
Composed type.
Material to be set in type.
intr.v.
mat·tered, mat·ter·ing, mat·ters
To be of importance: "Love is most nearly itself/When here and now cease to matter"(T.S. Eliot). See Synonyms at count1.
[Middle English, from Old French matere, from Latin māteria, wood, timber, matter, from māter, mother (because the woody part was seen as the source of growth); see māter- in Indo-European roots.]
c.1300, "material of thought, speech, or expression," from Anglo-Norm. matere, from L. materia "substance from which something is made," also "hard inner wood of a tree" (cf. Port. madeira "wood"), perhaps from mater "origin, source, mother." Or, on another theory, it represents *dmateria, from PIE root *dem-/*dom- (cf. L. domus "house," Eng. timber). With sense development influenced by Gk. hyle, of which it was the equivalent in philosophy. Meaning "substance of which physical objects are made" is attested from c.1340. That of "grounds, reason, or cause for something" also is first recorded 1340. The verb meaning "to be of importance or consequence" is from 1581. What is the matter "what concerns (someone)" is attested from 1469. Matter of fact (1580) originally a legal term (translating L. res facti), "that portion of an enquiry concerned with the truth or falsehood of alleged facts," opposed to matter of law. Meaning "prosaic, unimaginative" is from 1787.
a vaguely specified concern; "several matters to attend to"; "it is none of your affair"; "things are going well"
2.
some situation or event that is thought about; "he kept drifting off the topic"; "he had been thinking about the subject for several years"; "it is a matter for the police" [syn: topic]
3.
that which has mass and occupies space; "physicists study both the nature of matter and the forces which govern it"
4.
a problem; "is anything the matter?"
5.
(used with negation) having consequence; "they were friends and it was no matter who won the games"
6.
written works (especially in books or magazines); "he always took some reading matter with him on the plane"
verb
1.
have weight; have import, carry weight; "It does not matter much" [syn: count]
matterAudio Help (māt'ər) Pronunciation Key
Something that has mass. Most of the matter in the universe is composed of atoms which are themselves composed of subatomic particles. See also energy, state of matter.
Ma*dei"ra\, n. [Pg., the Island Madeira, properly, wood, fr. L. materia stuff, wood. The island was so called because well wooded. See Matter.] A rich wine made on the Island of Madeira. A cup of Madeira, and a cold capon's leg. --Shak. Madeira nut (Bot.), the European walnut; the nut of the Juglans regia.
Ma*drier"\, n. [F., from Sp. madero, or Pg. madeiro, fr. Sp. madera wood for building, timber, Pg. madeira, L. materia stuff, materials, lumber. See Matter.] A thick plank, used for several mechanical purposes; especially: (a) A plank to receive the mouth of a petard, with which it is applied to anything intended to be broken down. (b) A plank or beam used for supporting the earth in mines or fortifications.
Ma*te"ri*al\, a. [L. materialis, fr. materia stuff, matter: cf. F. mat['e]riel. See Matter, and cf. Mat['E]riel.]1. Consisting of matter; not spiritual; corporeal; physical; as, material substance or bodies. The material elements of the universe. --Whewell. 2. Hence: Pertaining to, or affecting, the physical nature of man, as distinguished from the mental or moral nature; relating to the bodily wants, interests, and comforts. 3. Of solid or weighty character; not insubstantial; of cinsequence; not be dispensed with; important. Discourse, which was always material, never trifling. --Evelyn. I shall, in the account of simple ideas, set down only such as are most material to our present purpose. --Locke. 4. (Logic.) Pertaining to the matter, as opposed to the form, of a thing. See Matter. Material cause. See under Cause. Material evidence (Law), evidence which conduces to the proof or disproof of a relevant hypothesis. --Wharton. Syn: Corporeal; bodily; important; weighty; momentous; essential.
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Audio Help [mat-er] Pronunciation Key 
