I. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English maten, from Old French mater — more at mat
1. obsolete : overcome , defeat
2. obsolete
a. : to frustrate by bewildering : confound
b. : to effectively block or reduce to nothing
3. obsolete : dispirit , discomfit , daunt
II. ˈmāt, usu -ād.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English maten, from Middle French mater, from Old French mat, n., checkmate, from Arabic māt (in shāh māt — expression used in chess to tell an opponent that his king has been checkmated) — more at checkmate
transitive verb
: checkmate 2
intransitive verb
: to bring about a checkmate
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English mat, from Middle French, from Old French
: checkmate 1
IV. interjection
: checkmate
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, probably from Middle Low German māt, māte; akin to Old English ge metta guest at one's table, Old High German gi mazzo one eating at the same table, Old English mete food — more at meat
1.
a.
(1) : one that customarily associates with another : one engaged in the same activity or pursuit as another : associate , companion , confrere
denounce our teachers, criticize certain of our mates, and plan some new deviation from the rules — Sidney Lovett
(2) : a fellow workman : partner
needed help from his mates to get the job done
(3) : an assistant to a more skilled workman : helper
a plumber's mate
b. archaic : one that is equal in eminence or dignity to another : peer
c. : friend , buddy , pal , chum
boasted to his mates about his girl — Ruth Park
— often used in familiar address especially by seamen
give me a light, mate
2.
a. : a deck officer on a merchant ship ranking below the captain
b. : an assistant to a warrant officer (as in the United States Navy) ranking as a petty officer
3. : one of a pair: as
a.
(1) : a marriage partner : spouse ; especially : a suitable or worthy partner in marriage
finally found her mate
(2) : one of a pair of animals brought together for breeding
b. : one of a pair that are matched in one or more qualities (as size, shape, color)
couldn't find the mate for the shoe
4. : a guiding and retaining device placed opposite the point rail in some railroad switches
•
- go mates
VI. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. archaic : to equal in some quality especially strength, courage, intelligence : match
2.
a. : to put in close association : join closely together : couple
mating words with deeds
b. : to fit (mechanical parts) together
the turbine shaft is mated to the hollow compressor shaft — Jet Aircraft Power Systems
watched engineers mate … rocket stages — A.C.Fisher
3. : to join together as mates: as
a. : to pair for breeding — often used with up
mates fox terriers
mated up the pigeons
b. : to join in marriage : take or give in marriage
was finally mated with the man she loved
intransitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to become joined together in marriage
wondering with whom she would mate
(2) : to become associated for breeding
birds mating in the spring
b. : copulate
some vigorous mature rams mate successfully with nearly 100 ewes in a season
c. : to pair animals for breeding — often used with up
2. archaic : to claim equality with another
3. archaic : to go about in close association with another : consort
4. : to become fitted or geared together properly
VIII.
or matee
variant of maty