match

¹

[ mach ]

noun

1. a slender piece of wood, cardboard, or other flammable material tipped with a chemical substance that produces fire when rubbed on a rough or chemically prepared surface.
2. a wick, cord, or the like, prepared to burn at an even rate, used to fire cannon, gunpowder, etc.

match

²

[ mach ]

noun

1. a person or thing that equals or resembles another in some respect.

   Synonyms: replica, facsimile, duplicate, copy, clone, carbon copy, twin, spit and image, picture, look-alike, likeness, image, doppelgänger, dead ringer, double

2. a person or thing able to cope with another as an equal:

   to meet one's match.

   Synonyms: rival, peer, parallel, like, equivalent, equal, counterpart, coequal

3. a person or thing that is an exact counterpart of another.

   Synonyms: mate, half, fellow, companion

4. a corresponding, suitably associated, or harmonious pair:

   The blue hat and green scarf were not a good match.

5. Sports.
   1. a game or contest in which two or more contestants or teams oppose each other:

      a soccer match.

   2. a contest consisting of a specific number of sets:

      a tennis match.

   Synonyms: contest, competition, bout, game

6. any contest or competition that resembles a sports match:

   a shouting match.

7. a person considered with regard to suitability as a partner in marriage:

   a good match.

8. a matrimonial union; marriage:

   Neither family approved of the match.

verb (used with object)

1. to equal; be equal to:

   My talent does not match his.

2. to be the match or counterpart of; harmonize with:

   The skirt matches the jacket perfectly.

3. to cause to correspond; adapt:

   to match one's actions to one's beliefs.

4. to fit together, as two things:

   to match the pieces of a puzzle.

5. to fit (boards) together, side by side or end to end, with a tongue-and-groove or rabbeted joint.
6. to procure or produce an equal to:

   Try though we did, we could not match our first success.

7. to place in opposition or conflict:

   I matched my wits against his strength.

8. to provide with an adversary or competitor of equal power:

   The teams were well matched.

9. to encounter as an adversary with equal power.
10. to prove a match for.
11. to unite in marriage; procure a matrimonial alliance for.
12. to toss (coins) into the air and then compare the matching or contrasting sides that land facing up, as for determining the winner of a bet.
13. to match coins with.

verb (used without object)

1. to be equal or suitable:

   Our talents match.

2. to correspond; be of corresponding size, shape, color, pattern, etc.:

   These gloves do not match.

3. Archaic. to ally oneself in marriage.

match

¹

/ mætʃ /

noun

1. a thin strip of wood or cardboard tipped with a chemical that ignites by friction when rubbed on a rough surface or a surface coated with a suitable chemical See safety match
2. a length of cord or wick impregnated with a chemical so that it burns slowly. It is used to fire cannons, explosives, etc

match

²

/ mætʃ /

noun

1. a formal game or sports event in which people, teams, etc, compete to win
2. a person or thing able to provide competition for another

   she's met her match in talking ability

3. a person or thing that resembles, harmonizes with, or is equivalent to another in a specified respect

   that coat is a good match for your hat

4. a person or thing that is an exact copy or equal of another
5. 1. a partnership between a man and a woman, as in marriage
   2. an arrangement for such a partnership
6. a person regarded as a possible partner, as in marriage

verb

1. to fit (parts) together

   to match the tongue and groove of boards

2. also intrsometimes foll byup to resemble, harmonize with, correspond to, or equal (one another or something else)

   the skirt matches your shoes well

3. sometimes foll bywith or against to compare in order to determine which is the superior

   they matched wits

4. often foll byto or with to adapt so as to correspond with

   to match hope with reality

5. often foll bywith or against to arrange a competition between
6. to find a match for
7. electronics to connect (two circuits) so that their impedances are equal or are equalized by a coupling device, to produce a maximum transfer of energy

Derived Forms

• ˈmatching, adjective
• ˈmatchable, adjective
• ˈmatcher, noun

Other Words From

• matcha·ble adjective
• matcher noun
• un·matcha·ble adjective
• un·matched adjective
• un·matching adjective
• well-matched adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of match¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English meccche, macche “wick,” from Middle French meiche, Old French me(s)che, from unattested Vulgar Latin mesca “lamp wick,” variant of Latin myxa, from Greek mýxa “mucus, nostril, nozzle of a lamp”

Origin of match²

First recorded before 900; Middle English ma(c)che, me(c)che “husband, wife, mate, equal,” Old English gemæcca, gemecca “mate, fellow, consort”

Word History and Origins

Origin of match¹

C14: from Old French meiche, perhaps from Latin myxa wick, from Greek muxa lamp nozzle

Origin of match²

Old English gemæcca spouse; related to Old High German gimmaha wife, Old Norse maki mate

Idioms and Phrases

see meet one's match ; mix and match ; whole ball of wax (shooting match) .

Example Sentences

Entering a prime-time reunion against his former team, Dobbins is a leading candidate for NFL comeback player of the year, a resurgence that matches his new franchise’s rise.

From Los Angeles Times

Extremely sick patients like Patterson require bespoke phage cocktails that perfectly match their microbes, and may even need new phages as the bacteria evolve.

From Salon

South Africa are overwhelming favourites to inflict defeat on Wales, who have lost their past 11 Test matches.

From BBC

It proposes reducing or eliminating the 90% federal match rate, which would do nothing for enrollees and strain state budgets while preserving a few dollars for the feds.

From Los Angeles Times

It swings from one extreme to another, matching Coppola’s grandiose gestures toward futurism, ancient history, symbolism, theatrical performance — and, at the heart of it all, love.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bout
• contest
• event
• game
• race
• test
• trial