, ma⋅trix⋅es. | 1. | something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops: The Greco-Roman world was the matrix for Western civilization. |
| 2. | Anatomy. a formative part, as the corium beneath a nail. |
| 3. | Biology.
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| 4. | Petrology. the fine-grained portion of a rock in which coarser crystals or rock fragments are embedded. |
| 5. | fine material, as cement, in which lumps of coarser material, as of an aggregate, are embedded. |
| 6. | Mining. gangue. |
| 7. | Metallurgy. a crystalline phase in an alloy in which other phases are embedded. |
| 8. | Printing. a mold for casting typefaces. |
| 9. | master (def. 18). |
| 10. | (in a press or stamping machine) a multiple die or perforated block on which the material to be formed is placed. |
| 11. | Mathematics. a rectangular array of numbers, algebraic symbols, or mathematical functions, esp. when such arrays are added and multiplied according to certain rules. |
| 12. | Linguistics. a rectangular display of features characterizing a set of linguistic items, esp. phonemes, usually presented as a set of columns of plus or minus signs specifying the presence or absence of each feature for each item. |
| 13. | Also called master. a mold made by electroforming from a disk recording, from which other disks may be pressed. |
| 14. | Archaic. the womb. |

| 1. | Also called matrix. the homogeneous substance in which the fibers and cells of connective tissue are embedded. |
| 2. | Also called hyaloplasm. the clear portion of the cell cytoplasm; cytosol. |

| 1. | a person with the ability or power to use, control, or dispose of something: a master of six languages; to be master of one's fate. |
| 2. | an owner of a slave, animal, etc. |
| 3. | an employer of workers or servants. |
| 4. | the male head of a household. |
| 5. | a person eminently skilled in something, as an occupation, art, or science: the great masters of the Impressionist period. |
| 6. | a person whose teachings others accept or follow: a Zen master. |
| 7. | Chiefly British. a male teacher or schoolmaster. |
| 8. | a worker qualified to teach apprentices and to carry on a trade independently. |
| 9. | a title given to a bridge or chess player who has won or placed in a certain number of officially recognized tournaments. |
| 10. | a person holding this title. |
| 11. | a person who commands a merchant ship; captain. |
| 12. | a victor or conqueror. |
| 13. | a presiding officer. |
| 14. | an officer of the court to whom some or all of the issues in a case may be referred for the purpose of taking testimony and making a report to the court. |
| 15. | the Master, Jesus Christ. |
| 16. | a person who has been awarded a master's degree. |
| 17. | a boy or young man (used chiefly as a term of address). |
| 18. | Also called matrix. an original document, drawing, manuscript, etc., from which copies are made. |
| 19. | a device for controlling another device operating in a similar way. Compare slave (def. 5). |
| 20. | Recording.
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| 21. | Also called copy negative. Photography. a film, usually a negative, used primarily for making large quantities of prints. |
| 22. | master of foxhounds. |
| 23. | Archaic. a work of art produced by a master. |
| 24. | being master; exercising mastery; dominant. |
| 25. | chief or principal: a master list. |
| 26. | directing or controlling: a master switch. |
| 27. | of or pertaining to a master from which copies are made: master film; master matrix; master record; master tape. |
| 28. | dominating or predominant: a master play. |
| 29. | being a master of some occupation, art, etc.; eminently skilled: a master diplomat; a master pianist. |
| 30. | being a master carrying on one's trade independently, rather than a worker employed by another: a master plumber. |
| 31. | characteristic of a master; showing mastery. |
| 32. | to make oneself master of; become an adept in: to master a language. |
| 33. | to conquer or overcome: to master one's pride. |
| 34. | to rule or direct as master: to master a crew. |
| 35. | Recording. to produce a master tape, disk, or record of: The producer recorded, mixed, and mastered the new album. |

| ground substance n.
|
ma·trix (mā'trĭks) n. pl. ma·tri·ces (mā'trĭ-sēz', māt'rĭ-) or ma·trix·es
[Middle English matrice, from Old French, from Late Latin mātrīx, mātrīc-, from Latin, breeding-animal, from māter, mātr-, mother; see māter- in Indo-European roots.] |
ground substance n.
The amorphous intercellular material in which the cells and fibers of connective tissue are embedded, composed of proteoglycans, plasma constituents, metabolites, water, and ions present between cells and fibers. Also called matrix.
See hyaloplasm.
matrix ma·trix (mā'trĭks)
n. pl. ma·trix·es or ma·tri·ces (mā'trĭ-sēz', māt'rĭ-)
A surrounding substance within which something else originates, develops, or is contained.
The womb.
The formative cells or tissue of a fingernail, toenail, or tooth.
See ground substance.
A specially shaped instrument, plastic material, or metal strip for holding and shaping the material used in filling a tooth cavity.
Matrix
[FidoNet] 1. What the Opus BBS software and sysops call FidoNet.
2. Fanciful term for a cyberspace expected to emerge from current networking experiments (see network, the).
3. The totality of present-day computer networks.
[The Jargon File]