mate

views updated May 17 2018

mate1 / māt/ • n. 1. each of a pair of birds or other animals: a male bird sings to court a mate. ∎ inf. a person's husband, wife, or other sexual partner. ∎  one of a matched pair: a sock without its mate.2. [in comb.] a fellow member or joint occupant of a specified thing: his tablemates. ∎ Brit., inf. used as a friendly form of address between men or boys: “See you then, mate.” ∎ Brit., inf. a friend or companion: I was with a mate my best mate, Steve.3. an assistant or deputy, in particular: ∎  an assistant to a skilled worker: a plumber's mate. ∎  a deck officer on a merchant ship subordinate to the master. See also first mate.• v. 1. [intr.] (of animals or birds) come together for breeding; copulate: successful males may mate with many females| [as n.] (mating) ovulation occurs only if mating has taken place. ∎  [tr.] bring (animals or birds) together for breeding. ∎  join in marriage or sexual partnership: people tend to mate with others in their own social class.2. [tr.] join or connect mechanically: a four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed gearbox. ∎  [intr.] be connected or joined.DERIVATIVES: mate·less adj.mate2 • n. & v. Chess short for checkmate.

maté

views updated May 14 2018

ma·té / ˈmäˌtā/ (also yerba maté) • n. 1. (also maté tea) a bitter, caffeine-rich infusion of the leaves of a South American shrub. ∎  the leaves of this shrub. 2. the South American shrub (Ilex paraguariensis) of the holly family that produces these leaves.

mate

views updated May 23 2018

mate1 habitual companion (also in comps.) XIV; (naut.) officer assistant to another XV; one of a wedded pair XVI. — MLG. (ge)mate = OHG. gimazzo :- WGmc. *ʒamatan-, f. *ʒa- Y- + *mat-, base of MEAT, the lit. sense being ‘messmate’.

mate

views updated May 17 2018

mate2 at chess, state of the king when he is in check and cannot move out of it; (fig.) total defeat. XIV. ME. mat — (O)F. mat, in eschec mat CHECKMATE.
So vb. XIII.

maté

views updated May 23 2018

maté Also yerba maté. Infusion of the dried leaves of Ilex paraguayensis, also known as Paraguay or Brazilian tea. Contains caffeine and tannin.

maté

views updated May 29 2018

maté calabash in which leaves of a S. Amer. shrub are infused, (also) the infusion and the shrub. XVIII. — Sp. mate — Quechua mati.

maté

views updated Jun 08 2018

maté See ILEX.