mat

⁴mat

Definition of MAT

variant of ²matte

Other Paints and Dyes Terms

bloom, craze, medium, size, vehicle

¹mat

noun \ˈmat\

Definition of MAT

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 gymnastics

2

: 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

Origin of MAT

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Rhymes with MAT

bat, batt, blat, brat, cat, Cat, chat, chert, drat, fat, flat, frat, gat, gnat, hat, Matt, matte, pat, phat, plait, plat, Pratt, rat, sat, scat, scatt, skat, slat, spat, splat, sprat, stat, tat, that, vat

²mat

verb

mat·tedmat·ting

Definition of MAT

transitive verb

1

: to provide with a mat or matting

2

a : to form into a tangled mass <dirt and filth matted her hair>

b : to pack down so as to form a dense mass

intransitive verb

: to become matted

First Known Use of MAT

1549

³mat

transitive verb \ˈmat\

mat·tedmat·ting

Definition of MAT

1

also matte or matt : to make (as a metal, glass, or color) matte

2

: to provide (a picture) with a mat

First Known Use of MAT

1602

⁵mat

noun

Definition of MAT

: a border going around a picture between picture and frame or serving as the frame

Origin of MAT

French mat dull color, unpolished surface, from mat, adjective — more at matte

First Known Use: 1845

Other Pictures (on film) Terms

daguerreotype, emulsion, fill, sepia, still, stop

⁶mat

noun

Definition of MAT

: matrix 2a

First Known Use of MAT

1904