matte

³matte

noun \ˈmat\

Definition of MATTE

1

: a crude mixture of sulfides formed in smelting sulfide ores of metals (as copper, lead, or nickel)

2

: a motion-picture effect in which part of a scene is blocked out and later replaced by footage containing other material (as a background painting)

Origin of MATTE

French, from Middle French, crude metal, curdled milk, from feminine of mat thick, dull, matte

First Known Use: 1839

Other Metals and Metallurgy Terms

assay, bloom, bullion, ductile, ingot, malleable, patina, plate, temper, tensile