MATE


Meaning of MATE in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ meɪt ]

( mates, mating, mated)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.

You can refer to someone’s friends as their mates , especially when you are talking about a man and his male friends. ( BRIT INFORMAL )

He’s off drinking with his mates...

= pal

N-COUNT : usu with poss

2.

Some men use mate as a way of addressing other men when they are talking to them. ( BRIT INFORMAL )

Come on mate, things aren’t that bad.

= pal

N-VOC

3.

Someone’s wife, husband, or sexual partner can be referred to as their mate .

He has found his ideal mate.

= partner

N-COUNT : usu sing , oft poss N

4.

An animal’s mate is its sexual partner.

The males guard their mates zealously.

N-COUNT : usu poss N

5.

When animals mate , a male and a female have sex in order to produce young.

This allows the pair to mate properly and stops the hen staying in the nest-box...

They want the males to mate with wild females...

It is easy to tell when a female is ready to mate.

...the mating season.

V-RECIP : pl-n V , V with n , V ( non-recip ), V-ing

6.

On a commercial ship, the mate or the first mate is the most important officer except for the captain. Officers of lower rank are also called mates .

...the mate of a fishing trawler.

N-COUNT

7.

In chess, mate is the same as checkmate .

N-UNCOUNT

8.

see also cellmate , classmate , flatmate , playmate , roommate , running mate , schoolmate , shipmate , soul mate

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Английский словарь Коллинз COBUILD для изучающих язык на продвинутом уровне.