Main Entry:

¹mat

Pronunciation:

\ˈmat\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English meatte, from Late Latin matta, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew miṭṭāh bed

Date:

before 12th century

1 a (1): a piece of coarse, woven, plaited, or felted fabric used especially as a floor covering or a support (2): a piece of material placed at a door for wiping soiled shoe soles b: a decorative piece of material used under a small item (as a dish) especially for support or protection c: a large thick pad or cushion used as a surface for wrestling, tumbling, and gymnastics2: something made up of densely tangled or adhering filaments or strands especially of organic matter <an algal mat> <a mat of unkempt hair>3: a large slab usually of reinforced concrete used as the supporting base of a building