matrixes

ma·trix

[mey-triks, ma-]
noun, plural ma·tri·ces [mey-tri-seez, ma-] , 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.
a.
the intercellular substance of a tissue.
b.
ground substance.
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, especially when such arrays are added and multiplied according to certain rules.
12.
Linguistics. a rectangular display of features characterizing a set of linguistic items, especially 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.
Origin:
1325–75; Middle English matris, matrix < Latin mātrix female animal kept for breeding (Late Latin: register, orig. of such beasts), parent stem (of plants), derivative of māter mother

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Matrixes is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
matrix (ˈmeɪtrɪks, ˈmæ-) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , pl matrices, matrixes
1.  a substance, situation, or environment in which something has its origin, takes form, or is enclosed
2.  anatomy the thick tissue at the base of a nail from which a fingernail or toenail develops
3.  the intercellular substance of bone, cartilage, connective tissue, etc
4.  a.  the rock material in which fossils, pebbles, etc, are embedded
 b.  the material in which a mineral is embedded; gangue
5.  printing
 a.  a metal mould for casting type
 b.  Sometimes shortened to: mat a papier-mâché or plastic mould impressed from the forme and used for stereotyping
6.  (formerly) a mould used in the production of gramophone records. It is obtained by electrodeposition onto the master
7.  a bed of perforated material placed beneath a workpiece in a press or stamping machine against which the punch operates
8.  metallurgy
 a.  the shaped cathode used in electroforming
 b.  the metal constituting the major part of an alloy
 c.  the soft metal in a plain bearing in which the hard particles of surface metal are embedded
9.  the main component of a composite material, such as the plastic in a fibre-reinforced plastic
10.  maths Compare determinant a rectangular array of elements set out in rows and columns, used to facilitate the solution of problems, such as the transformation of coordinates. Usually indicated by parentheses: ()
11.  linguistics the main clause of a complex sentence
12.  computing a rectangular array of circuit elements usually used to generate one set of signals from another
13.  obsolete the womb
 
[C16: from Latin: womb, female animal used for breeding, from māter mother]

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

matrix
1373, from O.Fr. matrice, from L. matrix (gen. matricis) "pregnant animal," in L.L. "womb," also "source, origin," from mater (gen. matris) "mother." Sense of "place or medium where something is developed" is first recorded 1555; sense of "embedding or enclosing mass" first recorded 1641. Logical sense
of "array of possible combinations of truth-values" is attested from 1914.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

matrix ma·trix (mā'trĭks)
n. pl. ma·trix·es or ma·tri·ces (mā'trĭ-sēz', māt'rĭ-)

  1. A surrounding substance within which something else originates, develops, or is contained.

  2. The womb.

  3. The formative cells or tissue of a fingernail, toenail, or tooth.

  4. See ground substance.

  5. A specially shaped instrument, plastic material, or metal strip for holding and shaping the material used in filling a tooth cavity.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
matrix   (mā'trĭks)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural matrices (mā'trĭ-sēz', māt'rĭ-) or matrixes

  1. Geology The mineral grains of a rock in which fossils are embedded.

  2. Biology The component of an animal or plant tissue that is outside the cells. Bone cells are embedded in a matrix of collagen fibers and mineral salts. Connective tissue consists of cells and extracellular fibers in a liquid called ground substance. Also called extracellular matrix.

  3. Mathematics A rectangular array of numeric or algebraic quantities subject to mathematical operations.

  4. Anatomy The formative cells or tissue of a fingernail, toenail, or tooth.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary

Matrix

n. [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 the network). The name of the rather good 1999 cypherpunk movie "The Matrix" played on this sense, which however had been established for years before.
3. The totality of present-day computer networks (popularized in this sense by John Quarterman; rare outside academic literature).
Jargon
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