noun
or ma·te ˈmä(ˌ)tā
( -s )
Etymology: French & American Spanish; French maté, from American Spanish mate, from Quechua
1. : a small bottle gourd used for holding the beverage maté
2. : an aromatic beverage used chiefly in So. America and especially in Paraguay that has stimulant properties like those of coffee and tea and that is made by steeping the dried and ground leaves and shoots of the maté plant
3.
a. : a So. American holly ( Ilex paraguayensis ) whose leaves and shoots are used in making the beverage maté — called also Paraguay tea
b. : leaves and young shoots of this holly dried and ground for use in making the beverage maté