mate

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈmāt 

mated; mating

transitive verb

: checkmate sense 2

mate

2 of 5

noun (1)

: checkmate sense 1

mate

3 of 5

noun (2)

1

a(1)

: associate, companion

(2)

chiefly British : an assistant to a more skilled worker : helper

(3)

chiefly British : friend, buddy

—often used as a familiar form of address

b

archaic : match, peer

2

: a deck officer on a merchant ship ranking below the captain

3

: one of a pair: such as

a

: either member of a couple and especially a married couple

b

: either member of a breeding pair of animals

c

: either of two matched objects

mate

4 of 5

verb (2)

mated; mating

transitive verb

1

archaic : equal, match

2

: to join or fit together : couple

3

a

: to join together as mates

b

: to provide a mate for

intransitive verb

1

: to become mated

gears that mate well

2

: copulate

maté

5 of 5

noun (3)

ma·​té ˈmä-ˌtā 

variants or mate

1

: a tealike beverage drunk especially in South America

2

: a South American shrub or tree (Ilex paraguariensis) of the holly family whose leaves and shoots are used in making maté

also : these leaves and shoots

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• companion
• fellow
• half
• match
• twin

Verb (2)

• breed
• copulate
• sleep

Examples of mate in a Sentence

Noun (2)

have you seen the mate to this glove anywhere?

that lout and his mates are known troublemakers in the neighborhood

a plumber and his mate showed up to fix the sink in our London hotel room

they vowed to each other that they would remain mates for life

spent the weekend in London with some of his mates from Oxford

Verb (2)

cats conceive almost every time they mate

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

While the conchs in deeper, cooler waters are mating and living freely, those near the coast have stopped reproducing as their shallow habitat becomes subjected to temperature extremes, including summer heat. —Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024

Young Westerners increasingly resemble captive panda bears who have to be pushed into one another and bribed with delicacies to be persuaded to mate. —Wilfred Reilly, National Review, 18 Sep. 2024

These sleek birds do everything on the wing — eating, drinking, even mating. —Deena Prichep, NPR, 14 Sep. 2024

The brawny mill is mated to a tandem middle axle gearbox that routes power to all six wheels. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2024

Twenty of the birds had been paired up to mate that year. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024

As climate change warms the shoreline environment, a large sea snail known as the queen conch has been having trouble mating. —Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024

The results revealed that while 60% of the females mated with multiple males, only 40% of litters contained offspring from different fathers, according to a June 2013 paper published in Biology Letters. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024

Noun

The image really does show a male king penguin trying to make a move on a female who has already paired up with her mate. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024

Shaun is a no-hoper, content with his job at an electronics store and nights at the Winchester Pub with girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) and best mate Ed (Nick Frost). —Ray Bennett, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Sep. 2024

Even typically taboo subjects can be addressed on a first date, and perhaps should be, if a potential mate's opinion on them is a deal breaker. —Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2024

The song features a sample of the band’s one-time tour mates, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. —Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French mater, from mat, noun, checkmate, ultimately from Arabic māt (in shāh māt)

Noun (2)

Middle English, probably from Middle Low German māt; akin to Old English gemetta guest at one's table, mete food — more at meat

Noun (3)

French & American Spanish; French maté, from American Spanish mate maté, vessel for drinking it, from Quechua mati vessel

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb (2)

1509, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

1758, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mate

• aerographer's mate
• age-mate
• cell mate
• first mate
• mate for life
• running mate
• soul mate

Kids Definition

mate

1 of 3 noun

ˈmāt 

1

a

: associate entry 2 sense 1, companion

b

: an assistant worker : helper

plumber's mate

2

: a deck officer on a merchant ship ranking below the captain

3

a

: either member of a married couple

b

: one of a breeding pair of animals

a dove and its mate

c

: either of two matched objects

the mate to a glove

mate

2 of 3 verb

mated; mating

1

: to join or fit together

2

a

: to bring or come together as mates

especially : marry entry 1 sense 1

b

: to provide a mate for

3

: copulate

maté

3 of 3 noun

ma·​té

variants or mate

ˈmä-ˌtā 

: a fragrant beverage made from the leaves and shoots of a South American shrub or tree related to the hollies

also : this shrub or tree or its leaves and shoots

Medical Definition

mate

1 of 2 verb

ˈmāt 

mated; mating

transitive verb

: to pair or join for breeding

intransitive verb

: copulate

maté

2 of 2 noun

ma·​té

variants or mate

ˈmä-ˌtā 

1

: an aromatic beverage used chiefly in South America and especially in Paraguay that has stimulant properties like those of coffee

2

: a South American holly (Ilex paraguayensis) whose leaves and shoots are used in making maté

also : these leaves and shoots