mating Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes
    coupling; union; sexual union; pairing; conjugation.
    • the casual couplings of adolescents
    • the mating of some species occurs only in the spring
  2. verb engage in sexual intercourse
    pair; couple; mate; copulate.
    • Birds mate in the Spring
  3. verb bring two objects, ideas, or people together
    pair; couple; mate; 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
  4. verb place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game
    mate; checkmate.
    • Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves
  5. verb twist together or entwine into a confusing mass
    entangle; snarl; tangle; mat.
    • The child entangled the cord
  6. verb change texture so as to become matted and felt-like
    mat up; mat; matte up; felt; matt-up; matte; felt up.
    • The fabric felted up after several washes

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