I. mat 1 /mæt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 700-800 ; Language: Late Latin ; Origin: matta ]
1 . a small piece of thick rough material which covers part of a floor:
Wipe your feet on the mat.
2 . a small flat piece of wood, cloth etc which protects a surface, especially on a table:
a beer mat (=a mat for putting a glass of beer on)
a mouse mat (=for a computer mouse)
⇨ ↑ place mat
3 . a piece of thick soft material used in some activities for people to sit on, fall onto etc:
a yoga mat
a prayer mat
4 . go to the mat (for somebody/something) to do everything you can to solve a difficult problem, win an argument, support someone etc:
The mayor is willing to go to the mat on this issue.
5 . a thick mass of something such as hairs or leaves ⇨ matted
mat of
a floating mat of vegetation
⇨ ↑ matting
II. mat 2 BrE AmE adjective
another spelling of ↑ matt