mate

1 [meyt] noun, verb, mat·ed, mat·ing.
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.
b.
any of a number of officers of varying degrees of rank subordinate to the master of a merchant ship.
c.
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.
verb (used with object)
11.
to join as a mate or as mates.
12.
to bring (animals) together for breeding purposes.
13.
to match or marry.
14.
to join, fit, or associate suitably: to mate thought with daring action.
15.
to connect or link: a telephone system mated to a computerized information service.
16.
to treat as comparable.
00:10
Mate is one of our favorite verbs.
So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:
to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.
to bark; yelp.
verb (used without object)
17.
to associate as a mate or as mates.
18.
(of animals) to copulate.
19.
(of animals) to pair for the purpose of breeding.
20.
to marry.
21.
(of a gear, rack, or worm) to engage with another gear or worm; mesh.
22.
Archaic. to consort; keep company.

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

mate·less, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged

mate

2 [meyt] noun, verb (used with object), mat·ed, mat·ing, interjection Chess.
checkmate ( defs 1, 3, 5 ).

Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English mat defeated (adj.), defeat (noun) < Old FrenchPersian; see checkmate

ma·te

3 [mah-tey, mat-ey]
noun

ma·té

[mah-tey, mat-ey, mah-tey]
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.
Also, mate.


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

Mat.E.

Materials Engineer.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To mate
Collins
World English Dictionary
mate1 (meɪt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the sexual partner of an animal
2.  a marriage partner
3.  a.  informal chiefly (Brit), (Austral), (NZ) a friend, usually of the same sex: often used between males in direct address
 b.  (in combination) an associate, colleague, fellow sharer, etc: a classmate; a flatmate
4.  one of a pair of matching items
5.  nautical
 a.  short for first mate
 b.  any officer below the master on a commercial ship
 c.  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 (Austral) mate rates the reduced rate charged for work done for a friend
 
vb
9.  to pair (a male and female animal) or (of animals) to pair for reproduction
10.  to marry or join in marriage
11.  (tr) to join as a pair; match
 
[C14: from Middle Low German; related to Old English gemetta table-guest, from metemeat]
 
'mateless1
 
adj

mate2 (meɪt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n, —vb
chess See checkmate

maté or mate (ˈmɑːteɪ, ˈmæteɪ, ˈmɑːteɪ, ˈmæteɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
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
 
[C18: from American Spanish (originally referring to the vessel in which the drink was brewed), from Quechua máti gourd]
 
mate or mate
 
n
 
[C18: from American Spanish (originally referring to the vessel in which the drink was brewed), from Quechua máti gourd]

maté or mate (ˈmɑːteɪ, ˈmæteɪ, ˈmɑːteɪ, ˈmæteɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
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
 
[C18: from American Spanish (originally referring to the vessel in which the drink was brewed), from Quechua máti gourd]
 
mate or mate
 
n
 
[C18: from American Spanish (originally referring to the vessel in which the drink was brewed), from Quechua máti gourd]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

mate
"companion, associate, fellow, comrade," late 14c., from M.L.G. mate, gemate "one eating at the same table, messmate," from P.Gmc. *ga-maton "having food (*matiz) together (*ga-)," which is etymologically identical with companion (q.v.). Meaning "one of a wedded pair"
is attested from 1540s. Used as a form of address by sailors, laborers, etc., since at least mid-15c. Meaning "officer on a merchant vessel is from late 15c. The verb, of animals, "to pair for the purpose of breeding" is first recorded c.1600. The verb in chess (early 14c.) is short for checkmate (q.v.) and is not related.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

mate 1 (māt)
n.

  1. A spouse.

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

  3. Either of a pair of animals brought together for breeding.

v. mat·ed, mat·ing, mates
  1. To become joined in marriage.

  2. To be paired for reproducing; breed.

  3. To copulate.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Mate insurance provides a safeguard against reasonable risks of losing a
  partner.
The article itself is about the attractiveness of advertising company producers
  as a mate.
The mate had seen the reception he had met with aft, and would have no cast-off
  company.
It's a stuff thicker than thin, sweeter than tart, soul mate to fruit.
Slang
Image for mate
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