mate
mate Lexical Profile
mate Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A friend, companion, or associate; also used widely as a friendly, informal form of address between equals (especially in British, Australian, and New Zealand English).
"He spent the Saturday afternoon watching the football match with a few of his closest mates."
Each of a breeding pair of animals, or a person's spouse or romantic domestic partner.
"Swans and bald eagles are well known for remaining with the same mate for many years."
A deck officer on a merchant ship ranking immediately below the captain or master, or an assistant to a skilled tradesperson.
"The first mate assumed command of the bridge while the captain rested below deck."
In chess, a winning position in which a player's king is directly threatened with capture and has no legal move to escape; checkmate.
"After analyzing the board carefully, the grandmaster announced mate in three moves."
A traditional South American caffeine-rich herbal infusion prepared by steeping the dried leaves of the yerba mate plant in hot water.
"In Argentina and Uruguay, sharing a gourd of hot mate is a cherished daily social ritual."
• verb
To come together or bring together for breeding and sexual reproduction (especially of animals or birds).
"The sea turtles return to the exact same sandy beaches every few years to mate and lay their eggs."
To connect, join, or fit two mechanical components or surfaces together smoothly.
"The aerospace engineers carefully designed the docking ring to mate securely with the orbital module."
To place an opponent's king in an inescapable position of check in chess, thereby winning the game.
"She sacrificed her queen to open the back rank and mate her opponent with the rook."
Word Nuance & Usage
When pronounced with two syllables (/ˈmɑːteɪ/) and sometimes spelled with an acute accent ('maté'), the noun refers to the traditional South American caffeine-rich herbal drink derived from the yerba mate plant, which comes from a completely unrelated Quechua root.
• Rhymes for mate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The general senses of companion and pairing come from Middle English 'mate', borrowed from Middle Low German 'mate' or 'gemate' (meaning 'messmate' or 'one sharing food'), sharing a Proto-Germanic root with the word 'meat'. The chess sense of 'checkmate' entered separately via Old French 'mat' from Persian 'shāh māt', meaning 'the king is helpless'.