mat 1
— matless , adj.
/mat/ , n. , v. , matted, matting .
n.
1. a piece of fabric made of plaited or woven rushes, straw, hemp, or similar fiber, or of some other pliant material, as rubber, used as a protective covering on a floor or other surface, to wipe the shoes on, etc.
2. a smaller piece of material, often ornamental, set under a dish of food, a lamp, vase, etc.
3. Sports.
a. the padded canvas covering the entire floor of a wrestling ring, for protecting the contestants from injury when thrown.
b. a thick pad placed on the floor for the protection of tumblers and others engaged in gymnastic sports.
4. a thickly growing or thick and tangled mass, as of hair or weeds.
5. a sack made of matting, as for coffee or sugar.
6. a slablike footing of concrete, esp. one for an entire building.
7. a heavy mesh reinforcement for a concrete slab.
8. go to the mat , to contend or struggle in a determined or unyielding way: The President is going to the mat with Congress over the proposed budget cuts.
v.t.
9. to cover with or as if with mats or matting.
10. to form into a mat, as by interweaving.
v.i.
11. to become entangled; form tangled masses.
[ bef. 900; ME, OE matte matta mat of rushes mittah bed ]
mat 2
/mat/ , n. , v. , matted, matting .
n.
1. a piece of cardboard or other material placed over or under a drawing, painting, photograph, etc., to serve as a frame or provide a border between the picture and the frame.
v.t.
2. to provide (a picture) with a mat.
[ 1835-40; appar. MAT 1 , influenced by MATTE 1 ]
mat 3
/mat/ , adj., n., v., matted, matting .
matte 1 .
mat 4
/mat/ , n. Print.
1. the intaglio, usually of papiermâché, impressed from type or a cut, from which a stereotype plate is cast.
2. matrix (def. 8).
[ 1920-25; shortened form of MATRIX ]