I. ˈmat noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English meatte, from Late Latin matta, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew miṭṭāh bed
Date: before 12th century
1.
a.
(1) : a piece of coarse, woven, plaited, or felted fabric used especially as a floor covering or a support
(2) : a piece of material placed at a door for wiping soiled shoe soles
b. : a decorative piece of material used under a small item (as a dish) especially for support or protection
c. : a large thick pad or cushion used as a surface for wrestling, tumbling, and gymnastics
2. : something made up of densely tangled or adhering filaments or strands especially of organic matter
an algal mat
a mat of unkempt hair
3. : a large slab usually of reinforced concrete used as the supporting base of a building
II. verb
( mat·ted ; mat·ting )
Date: 1549
transitive verb
1. : to provide with a mat or matting
2.
a. : to form into a tangled mass
dirt and filth matted her hair
b. : to pack down so as to form a dense mass
intransitive verb
: to become matted
III. ˈmat transitive verb
( mat·ted ; mat·ting )
Date: 1602
1. also matte or matt : to make (as a metal, glass, or color) matte
2. : to provide (a picture) with a mat
IV.
variant of matte II
V. noun
Etymology: French mat dull color, unpolished surface, from mat, adjective — more at matte
Date: 1845
: a border going around a picture between picture and frame or serving as the frame
VI. noun
Date: 1904
: matrix 2a