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View synonyms for

mate

1

[ meyt ]

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. any of a number of officers of varying degrees of rank subordinate to the master of a merchant ship.
    2. 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)

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

[ meyt ]

noun

mated, mating,

mate

3

[ mah-tey, mat-ey ]

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.

é

1

/ 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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

mate

2

/ ɪ /

noun

  1. the sexual partner of an animal
  2. a marriage partner
    1. 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

  3. one of a pair of matching items
  4. 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
  5. (in some trades) an assistant

    a plumber's mate

  6. archaic.
    a suitable associate
  7. mate rates slang.
    the reduced rate charged for work done for a friend
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

mate

3

/ ɪ /

noun

  1. chess See checkmate
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈٱ, adjective
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Other Word Forms

  • ٱl adjective
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Word History and Origins

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”; 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; checkmate

Origin of mate3

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

Origin of mate1

C18: from American Spanish (originally referring to the vessel in which the drink was brewed), from Quechua áپ gourd

Origin of mate2

C14: from Middle Low German; related to Old English gemetta table-guest, from mete meat
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“You may get the mates, but you’re also exposing yourself to predators.”

From

There was a lot of inspiration from bird calls in terms of signaling things, like a mating call or birds signaling an alarm or danger.

From

As for her proposed crew mates, Gemma says she "couldn't think of a better five women to go".

From

"I always have a black mate to pull out my back pocket," the comment said.

From

The creatures don’t migrate so if they were thrown into a tide pool they might only have each other to mate with, Lev said.

From

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matchy-matchyMat.E.