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 (such 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
matted; matting
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
: to become matted
matted; matting
1
or less commonly matte
or matt
: to make (something, such as a metal, glass, or color) matte
2
: to provide (a picture) with a mat
less common spelling of matte entry 2
: lacking or deprived of luster (see luster entry 1 sense 1) or gloss: such as
a
: having a usually smooth even surface free from shine or highlights
matte metals
a matte finish
b
: having a rough or granular (see granular sense 1) surface
: a border going around a picture between picture and frame or serving as the frame
Examples of mat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Maya Polton, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
Use it with parchment paper or a silicone mat for easy cleanup and hand wash this baking sheet instead of placing it in the dishwasher to preserve its natural color.
—Molly Allen, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2024
The tests went on for as long as a dog was willing to stay on its mat and participate, Boros said.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
The actress said her mom hoarded, and their family home was cramped and cluttered — so much so that Jennette at her brothers slept on mats in the living room.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
The Deluxe-trim interior, with white bucket seats and a center console, is a class act in an era of slippery vinyl bench seats and rubber floor mats.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024
The Black Edition logo is also embossed on the front seats and floor mats.
—Tony Leopardo, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024
Best Amazon Big Spring Sale Deals on Baby Toys
Keep little ones busy and engaged with a reversible tummy time play mat that’s 41% off, or opt for a sensory fish toy from Melissa & Doug and save 40%.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 19 Mar. 2024
Bring your mat to the Bear Statue at Fern Dell to stretch your body in nature.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
Rabbit adopters must perform perpetual grooming to keep the rabbit’s fur from matting and must keep a close eye on the bunnies’ diet and poops.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024
The matting situation was so bad that staff at HSTB had to sedate him in order to shave him.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024
But if that's the case, Chen Moonves better start working on her eyebrow arch and mat chat skills.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 9 Aug. 2023
To avoid tangling and matting, Koudou recommends spraying the ends with water and brushing the hair out lightly.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 19 Jan. 2024
This is particularly important for breeds with long or dense fur prone to matting.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
This helps prevent future matting while keeping your dog's coat healthy and shiny.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
Buttar expressed her shock at the lack of adequate crash matting and remarked during the sentencing that Watts was lucky to be alive, according to the news release.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
Noun
The mat features fish that swim around in the water and vibrant sea creatures on the back and sides.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
Use it with parchment paper or a silicone mat for easy cleanup and hand wash this baking sheet instead of placing it in the dishwasher to preserve its natural color.
—Molly Allen, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2024
The tests went on for as long as a dog was willing to stay on its mat and participate, Boros said.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
The actress said her mom hoarded, and their family home was cramped and cluttered — so much so that Jennette at her brothers slept on mats in the living room.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
The Deluxe-trim interior, with white bucket seats and a center console, is a class act in an era of slippery vinyl bench seats and rubber floor mats.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024
The Black Edition logo is also embossed on the front seats and floor mats.
—Tony Leopardo, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024
Best Amazon Big Spring Sale Deals on Baby Toys
Keep little ones busy and engaged with a reversible tummy time play mat that’s 41% off, or opt for a sensory fish toy from Melissa & Doug and save 40%.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 19 Mar. 2024
Bring your mat to the Bear Statue at Fern Dell to stretch your body in nature.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Verb
How to prevent fur matting Brush your dog's hair down to the skin often.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
Rabbit adopters must perform perpetual grooming to keep the rabbit’s fur from matting and must keep a close eye on the bunnies’ diet and poops.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024
The matting situation was so bad that staff at HSTB had to sedate him in order to shave him.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024
But if that's the case, Chen Moonves better start working on her eyebrow arch and mat chat skills.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 9 Aug. 2023
To avoid tangling and matting, Koudou recommends spraying the ends with water and brushing the hair out lightly.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 19 Jan. 2024
This is particularly important for breeds with long or dense fur prone to matting.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
This helps prevent future matting while keeping your dog's coat healthy and shiny.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
Buttar expressed her shock at the lack of adequate crash matting and remarked during the sentencing that Watts was lucky to be alive, according to the news release.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mat
Cite this Entry
“Mat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mat. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mat
1 of 5 noun1
a
: a piece of coarse fabric of rush, straw, or wool
b
: a piece of material in front of a door to wipe dirty shoe soles on
c
: a decorative piece of material used under a dish or vase
d
: a pad or cushion for gymnastics or wrestling
2
: something made up of many tangled strands
a thick mat of vegetation
mat
2 of 5 verb
matted; matting
1
: to provide with a mat or matting
2
: to become or cause to become a tangled mass
mat
3 of 5 verb
matted; matting
1
also matte
or matt
: to give a dull effect to
2
: to border (a picture) with a mat
mat
4 of 5variant of matte entry 2
mat
5 of 5 noun1
: a border of stiff paper (as cardboard) going around a picture between picture and frame or serving as the frame
2
: a dull finish
Etymology
Noun
Old English meatte "mat," from Latin matta (same meaning); of Semitic origin
Medical Definition
mat
1 of 2 adjective
variants
or matt
or matte
1
: lacking or deprived of luster or gloss : having a usually smooth even surface free from shine or highlights
2
: having a coarse rough rugose or granular surface
bacteria that form mat colonies on agar
mat
2 of 2 noun
: a mat colony of bacteria
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