/mah"tay, mat"ay, mah tay"/ , n.
1. a tealike South American beverage made from the dried leaves of an evergreen tree.
2. a South American tree, Ilex paraguariensis, that is the source of this beverage.
3. the dried leaves of this tree. Also, mate . Also called Paraguay tea, yerba maté .
[ 1710-20; mate, orig. the vessel in which the herb is steeped mati ]