mate

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Contents

English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English, from Middle Low German mate (messmate) (replacing Middle English mette from Old English ġemetta (sharer of food, table-guest)), derived from Proto-Germanic *gamatjô, itself from Proto-Germanic *ga- (together) (related to German and Dutch ge-) + Proto-Germanic *matjô (from Proto-Germanic *matiz (food)), related to Old English mete (food)). More at co-, meat.

Noun[edit]

mate (plural mates)

  1. a fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate
  2. (especially of a non-human animal) a breeding partner
  3. (colloquial, UK, Australia, New Zealand) a friend, usually of the same sex
    I'm going to the pub with a few mates.
    He's my best mate.
  4. (colloquial, UK, Australia, New Zealand) a colloquial "sir"; an informal and friendly term of address to a stranger, usually male
    Excuse me, mate, have you got the time?
  5. (nautical) In naval ranks, a non-commissioned officer or his subordinate (e.g. Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate, Sailmaker's Mate, etc).
  6. (nautical) Short for first mate.
  7. A technical assistant in certain trades (e.g. gasfitter's mate, plumber's mate); sometimes an apprentice.
  8. The other member of a matched pair of objects.
    I found one of the socks I wanted to wear, but I couldn't find its mate.
  9. (nautical) A ship's officer, subordinate to the master on a commercial ship.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Verb[edit]

mate (third-person singular simple present mates, present participle mating, simple past and past participle mated)

  1. (intransitive) To match, fit together without space between.
    The pieces of the puzzle mate perfectly.
  2. (intransitive) To copulate.
  3. (intransitive) To pair in order to raise offspring
  4. (transitive) To arrange in matched pairs.
  5. (transitive) To introduce (animals) together for the purpose of breeding.
  6. (transitive) To marry; to match (a person).
    • Shakespeare
      If she be mated with an equal husband.
  7. (transitive) To match oneself against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.
    • Francis Bacon
      There is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death.
    • Shakespeare
      I, [] in the way of loyalty and truth, [] / Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be.
  8. (transitive) To fit (objects) together without space between.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English verb maten, Middle French mater, from Old French noun mat (checkmate), from Persian شاه مات (šâh mât).

Noun[edit]

mate (plural mates)

  1. (chess) Short for checkmate.
Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

mate (third-person singular simple present mates, present participle mating, simple past and past participle mated)

  1. (intransitive) To win a game of chess by putting the opponent in checkmate
Translations[edit]

Etymology 3[edit]

See maté

Noun[edit]

mate (plural mates)

  1. Alternative spelling of maté, an aromatic tea-like drink prepared from the holly yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis).
  2. The abovementioned plant; the leaves and shoots used for the tea

Anagrams[edit]


Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

A more archaic form of maat (measure), in petrified use in various contexts and expressions. From Middle Dutch mate, from Old Dutch *māta, from Proto-Germanic *mētō.

Noun[edit]

mate f (plural maten, diminutive maatje)

  1. A measure, degree: quantity or intensity of something abstract

See also[edit]

Verb[edit]

mate

  1. singular past subjunctive of meten

Fijian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Oceanic (compare Hawaiian make, Maori mate, Rapa Nui mate, Tahitian mate), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay (compare Cebuano matay, Chamorro matai, Ilocano matay, Indonesian mati, Javanese mati, Kapampangan mate, mete, Malagasy maty, Malay mati, Palauan mad, Tagalog matay), from Proto-Austronesian *(m-)aCay.

Adjective[edit]

mate

  1. dead (no longer alive)

Noun[edit]

mate

  1. death

French[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

mate

  1. feminine form of mat, dull.

Verb[edit]

mate

  1. form of mater

Anagrams[edit]


Galician[edit]

Verb[edit]

mate

  1. first-person singular present subjunctive of matar
  2. third-person singular present subjunctive of matar

Gothic[edit]

Romanization[edit]

matē

  1. See 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐌴

Japanese[edit]

Romanization[edit]

mate

  1. See まて

Maori[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Polynesian *mate (compare Hawaiian make, Rapa Nui mate, Tahitian mate), from Proto-Oceanic (compare Fijian mate), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay (compare Cebuano matay, Chamorro matai, Ilocano matay, Indonesian mati, Javanese mati, Kapampangan mate, mete, Malagasy maty, Malay mati, Palauan mad, Tagalog matay), from Proto-Austronesian *(m-)aCay.

Adjective[edit]

mate

  1. dead (no longer alive)

Noun[edit]

mate

  1. death

Mapudungun[edit]

Noun[edit]

mate (using Raguileo Alphabet)

  1. The drink maté, prepared of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis).

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  • Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Verb[edit]

mate (present tense mater; past tense and past participle mata or matet)

  1. feed

Synonyms[edit]


Rapa Nui[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Polynesian *mate (compare Hawaiian make, Maori mate, Tahitian mate), from Proto-Oceanic (compare Fijian mate), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay (compare Cebuano matay, Chamorro matai, Ilocano matay, Indonesian mati, Javanese mati, Kapampangan mate, mete, Malagasy maty, Malay mati, Palauan mad, Tagalog matay), from Proto-Austronesian *(m-)aCay.

Adjective[edit]

mate

  1. dead (no longer alive)

Verb[edit]

mate

  1. to die

Spanish[edit]

Adjective[edit]

mate m and f (plural mates)

  1. matte (not reflective of light)
  2. (South America) tan, tanned (skin colour)

Noun[edit]

mate m (plural mates)

  1. (chess) mate, checkmate
  2. The drink maté prepared of yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis).
  3. A hollow calabash gourd, in which the maté is traditionally served.
  4. (colloquial, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay) A head.
  5. (colloquial) maths, mathematics (short for "matemática")

Synonyms[edit]

Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia

Verb[edit]

mate (infinitive matar)

  1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of matar.
  2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of matar.
  3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of matar.
  4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of matar.

Swahili[edit]

Noun[edit]

mate

  1. saliva (liquid secreted into the mouth)


This Swahili entry was created from the translations listed at saliva. It may be less reliable than other entries, and may be missing parts of speech or additional senses. Please also see mate in the Swahili Wiktionary. This notice will be removed when the entry is checked. (more information) July 2009


Tahitian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Polynesian *mate (compare Hawaiian make, Maori mate), Rapa Nui mate, from Proto-Oceanic (compare Fijian mate), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay (compare Cebuano matay, Chamorro matai, Ilocano matay, Indonesian mati, Javanese mati, Kapampangan mate, mete, Malagasy maty, Malay mati, Palauan mad, Tagalog matay), from Proto-Austronesian *(m-)aCay.

Adjective[edit]

mate

  1. dead (no longer alive)

Verb[edit]

mate

  1. to die

Tongan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Proto-Polynesian *mate.

Noun[edit]

mate

  1. death
  2. the dead

Adjective[edit]

mate

  1. dead

Portuguese[edit]

Verb[edit]

mate

  1. first-person singular present subjunctive of matar
  2. third-person singular present subjunctive of matar
  3. first-person singular imperative of matar
  4. third-person singular imperative of matar