mate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the officer below the master on a commercial ship
    first mate.
  2. noun a fellow member of a team
    teammate.
    • it was his first start against his former teammates
  3. noun the partner of an animal (especially a sexual partner)
    • he loved the mare and all her mates
    • camels hate leaving their mates
  4. noun a person's partner in marriage
    partner; married person; spouse; better half.
  5. noun an exact duplicate
    match.
    • when a match is found an entry is made in the notebook
  6. noun one of a pair
    fellow.
    • he lost the mate to his shoe
    • one eye was blue but its fellow was brown
  7. noun South American holly; leaves used in making a drink like tea
    Ilex paraguariensis; Paraguay tea.
  8. noun informal term for a friend of the same sex
  9. noun South American tea-like drink made from leaves of a South American holly called mate
  10. noun a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king
    checkmate.
  11. verb engage in sexual intercourse
    pair; couple; copulate.
    • Birds mate in the Spring
  12. verb bring two objects, ideas, or people together
    pair; couple; twin; match.
    • This fact is coupled to the other one
    • Matchmaker, can you match my daughter with a nice young man?
    • The student was paired with a partner for collaboration on the project
  13. verb place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game
    checkmate.
    • Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves

WordNet

Ma"te noun
Etymology
Sp.
Definitions
  1. The Paraguay tea, being the dried leaf of the Brazilian holly (Ilex Paraguensis). The infusion has a pleasant odor, with an agreeable bitter taste, and is much used for tea in South America.
Mate noun
Etymology
F. mat, abbrev. fr. échec et mat. See Checkmate.
Definitions
  1. (Chess) Same as Checkmate.
Mate adjective
Definitions
  1. See 2d Mat. Obs. Chaucer.
Mate transitive verb
Etymology
F. mater to fatigue, enfeeble, humiliate, checkmate. See Mate checkmate.
Definitions
  1. To confuse; to confound. Obs. Shak.
  2. To checkmate.
Mate noun
Etymology
Perhaps for older make a companion; cf. also OD. maet companion, mate, D. maat. Cf. Make a companion, Match a mate.
Definitions
  1. One who customarily associates with another; a companion; an associate; any object which is associated or combined with a similar object.
  2. Hence, specifically, a husband or wife; and among the lower animals, one of a pair associated for propagation and the care of their young.
  3. A suitable companion; a match; an equal.
    Ye knew me once no mate For you; there sitting where you durst not soar. Milton.
  4. (Naut.) An officer in a merchant vessel ranking next below the captain. If there are more than one bearing the title, they are called, respectively, first mate, second mate, third mate, etc. In the navy, a subordinate officer or assistant; as, master's mate; surgeon's mate.
Mate transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Mated; present participle & verbal noun Mating
Definitions
  1. To match; to marry.
    If she be mated with an equal husband. Shak.
  2. To match one's self against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.
    There is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death. Bacon.
    I, . . . in the way of loyalty and truth, . . . Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be. Shak.
Mate intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To be or become a mate or mates, especially in sexual companionship; as, some birds mate for life; this bird will not mate with that one.

Webster 1913