matte

¹ American  

[mat] / mæt /

Or mat,

adjective

1. having a dull or lusterless surface.

   matte paint; a matte complexion; a photograph with a matte finish.

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noun

1. a dull or dead surface, often slightly roughened, as on metals, paint, paper, or glass.

2. a tool for producing such a surface.

3. Metallurgy. an unfinished metallic product of the smelting of certain sulfide ores, especially those of copper.

4. Movies. matte shot.

verb (used with object)

matted, matting

1. to finish with a matte surface.

matte ² American  

[mat] / mæt /

noun

Mining.

1. a mass of timber caved beneath overburden so as to cushion the fall of the overburden and separate it from mineral to be extracted beneath.

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matte ¹ British  

/ mæt /

noun

1. an impure fused material consisting of metal sulphides produced during the smelting of a sulphide ore

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matte ² British  

/ mæt /

noun

1. films television a mask used to blank out part of an image so that another image can be superimposed

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Etymology

Origin of matte¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from French mat (masculine), matte (feminine), Old French, from Late Latin mattus “moist, soft, weak,” perhaps from unattested maditus, derivative of Latin madēre “to be wet”

Origin of matte²

< German; akin to mat ¹

Related Words

• cloudy
• cold
• dark
• dim
• dismal
• flat
• hazy
• lifeless
• muddy
• muted
• obscure
• soft
• somber
• subdued