mate

¹

[ meyt ]

noun

1. a partner in marriage; spouse.
2. one member of a pair of mated animals.
3. one of a pair:

   I can't find the mate to this glove.

4. a counterpart.
5. an associate; fellow worker; comrade; partner (often used in combination):

   classmate; roommate.

6. friend; buddy; pal (often used as an informal term of address):

   Let me give you a hand with that, mate.

7. Nautical.
   1. first mate.
   2. any of a number of officers of varying degrees of rank subordinate to the master of a merchant ship.
   3. an assistant to a warrant officer or other functionary on a ship.
8. an aide or helper, as to an artisan; factotum.
9. a gear, rack, or worm engaging with another gear or worm.
10. Archaic. an equal in reputation; peer; match.

verb (used with object)

, mat·ed, mat·ing.

1. to join as a mate or as mates.
2. to bring (animals) together for breeding purposes.
3. to match or marry.
4. to join, fit, or associate suitably:

   to mate thought with daring action.

5. to connect or link:

   a telephone system mated to a computerized information service.

6. to treat as comparable.

verb (used without object)

, mat·ed, mat·ing.

1. to associate as a mate or as mates.
2. (of animals) to copulate.
3. (of animals) to pair for the purpose of breeding.
4. to marry.
5. (of a gear, rack, or worm) to engage with another gear or worm; mesh.
6. Archaic. to consort; keep company.

mate

²

[ meyt ]

noun

, mat·ed, mat·ing,

1. checkmate ( defs 1, 3, 5 ).

mate

³

[ mah-tey, mat-ey ]

noun

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.

mate

¹

/ meɪt /

noun

1. the sexual partner of an animal
2. a marriage partner
3. 1. a friend, usually of the same sex: often used between males in direct address
   2. in combination an associate, colleague, fellow sharer, etc

      a classmate

      a flatmate

4. one of a pair of matching items
5. nautical
   1. short for first mate
   2. any officer below the master on a commercial ship
   3. a warrant officer's assistant on a ship
6. (in some trades) an assistant

   a plumber's mate

7. archaic.
   a suitable associate
8. mate rates slang.
   the reduced rate charged for work done for a friend

verb

1. to pair (a male and female animal) or (of animals) to pair for reproduction
2. to marry or join in marriage
3. tr to join as a pair; match

maté

²

/ ˈmæteɪ; ˈmɑːteɪ /

noun

1. an evergreen tree, Ilex paraguariensis, cultivated in South America for its leaves, which contain caffeine: family Aquifoliaceae
2. a stimulating milky beverage made from the dried leaves of this tree

mate

³

/ meɪt /

noun

1. chess See checkmate

Derived Forms

• ˈmateless, adjective

Other Words From

• mateless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English mate, maite “friend, companion, shipmate, mate (ship's officer), fellow creature,” from Middle Low German mate, gemate “messmate”, replacing Middle English mette, mete “table companion, messmate, partner,” Old English gemetta “messmate, guest”; meat

Origin of mate²

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb maten, matein, matten “to checkmate, defeat,” from Old French mater, ultimately from Persian; checkmate

Origin of mate³

First recorded in 1710–20; from American Spanish, from Quechua mati, the calabash gourd in which the herb is steeped

Word History and Origins

Origin of mate¹

C14: from Middle Low German; related to Old English gemetta table-guest, from mete meat

Origin of mate²

C18: from American Spanish (originally referring to the vessel in which the drink was brewed), from Quechua máti gourd

Example Sentences

"Twenty years ago, if you were to say to me that I'd be in a wheelchair, I'd be like 'Nah mate, it's all right. I'd rather go.'"

From BBC

Noem, who was at one point up for consideration to be Trump’s running mate, will head the agency responsible for everything from deportations to natural disaster relief efforts.

From Salon

He was considered as Trump’s running mate, a post that eventually went to Vice President-elect JD Vance.

From Los Angeles Times

Jill Stein, who chose a Muslim American running mate, captured 18 percent.

From Slate

He has since become a stalwart of Republican politics, and was once floated as a potential running mate to 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney and to Trump in 2024.

From BBC