~ 1
■ noun
1》 a thick piece of ~erial placed on the floor and used as protection from dirt, for wiping the feet on, or as a decorative rug.
↘a piece of resilient ~erial for landing on in gymnastics, wrestling, or similar sports.
2》 a small piece of cork, card, or similar ~erial placed on a surface to protect it from the heat or moisture of an object placed on it.
↘(also mouse ~ ) Brit. a small piece of rigid or resilient ~erial on which a computer mouse is moved.
3》 a thick, untidy layer of hairy or woolly ~erial.
■ verb ( ~s , ~ting , ~ted ) [usu. as adjective ~ted ] tangle in a thick mass: ~ted hair.
Phrases
on the ~ informal being reprimanded by someone in authority. [with military reference, in which an accused would stand on the orderly room ~.]
Origin
OE m(e)att(e) , of W. Gmc origin.
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~ 2
■ noun short for ~rix (in sense 2).
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~ 3
■ noun US spelling of ~t .