mate
mate1 definition
mate (māt)
noun
- a companion, comrade, or fellow worker: often used in compounds [classmate]
- Brit., Informal a chum; buddy; pal: often used as a familiar form of address
- one of a pair, esp. of a matched pair
- a husband or wife; spouse
- the male or female of animals paired for propagation
- Archaic an equal; fit associate
- Naut.: in the U.S. Navy, mate is used in the designators of certain petty officers and ratings, as machinist's mate, boatswain's mate
- an officer of a merchant ship, ranking below the captain; specif., first mate
- an assistant
Etymology: ME < MDu, a companion < gemate < Gmc *gamatan < *ga-, together (for IE base see com-) + *mad-, food, meat: hence, orig., one who share meals: cf. companion
transitive verb mated mat′ed, mating mat′·ing
- to join as a pair; couple
- to couple in marriage or sexual union
- to provide with a mate
intransitive verb
to become mated
mate2 definition
mate (māt)
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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