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mate

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mate¹

  • /meɪt/
  • [meɪt] UK, US
  • [mɛjt] British, Southern, Standard
  • [meːt] Canada, Scotland
  • [mæɪt] Australia

Rhymes with -eɪt

Where it comes from

From Middle English mate, a borrowing from Middle Low German mate (“messmate”) (replacing Middle English mett, mette (“table companion, mate, partner”), from Old English ġemetta (“sharer of food, table-guest”)), from Old Saxon gimato, derived from Proto-Germanic *gamatjô, itself from *ga- (“together”) (related to German and Dutch ge-) + *matjô (from *matiz (“food”)), related to Old English mete (“food”)). From the same Middle Low German source stems German Low German Maat (“journeyman, companion”), German Maat (“naval non-commissioned officer”). Cognates include Saterland Frisian Moat (“friend, buddy, comrade, mate”), Dutch maat (“mate, partner, colleague, friend”). More at Old English ġe-, English co-, English meat. Doublet of maat.

Compare typologically Latin compāniō (whence companion) (< con- + panis + -ō), Russian однока́шник (odnokášnik) (< одно- (odno-) + ка́ша (káša) + -ник (-nik)).

noun mates

  1. A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate. A "mate" was a "mate" - share and share alike, no matter how bad might be the times, or how long a spell of ill luck had attended them.

    Similar: fellow, fere

  2. especially, of a non human animal A breeding partner. Such overt displays of avowed sexual prowess – or at least, desperate availability – are not limited to the countryside. Even in the city, birds and animals and stockbrokers and nurses find ways of signalling their suitability as a mate.
  3. Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, UK, colloquial A friend, usually of the same sex. I'm going to the pub with a few mates.

    Similar: friend, buddy, babber, billy, bredrin, bruv, bud, buddo, butty, chaver, china, chuck

  4. Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, UK, colloquial Friendly term of address to a stranger, usually male, of similar age. Excuse me, mate, have you got the time?

    Similar: buddy

  5. In naval ranks, a non-commissioned officer or his subordinate (e.g. Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate, Sailmaker's Mate, etc).
  6. A ship's officer, subordinate to the master on a commercial ship.
  7. A first mate.
  8. A technical assistant in certain trades (e.g. gasfitter's mate, plumber's mate); sometimes an apprentice.
  9. The other member of a matched pair of objects. I found one of the socks I wanted to wear, but I couldn't find its mate.
  10. A suitable companion; a match; an equal. Ye knew me once no mate / For you; there sitting where you durst not soar.

verb mates · mating · mated

  1. intransitive To match, fit together without space between. The pieces of the puzzle mate perfectly.

    Similar: match, couple, pair

  2. intransitive To copulate. “In fact, the apes live with us, and have for many ages. We call them the first men—we speak their language quite as much as we do our own; only in the rituals of the temple do we make any attempt to retain our mother tongue. In time it will be forgotten, and we will speak only the language of the a

    Similar: couple, approach, cohabit, common, company, copulate, engage in sex, exchange flesh, have intimate relations, have marital relations, have sex, have sexual relations

  3. intransitive To pair in order to raise offspring.
  4. transitive To arrange in matched pairs.
  5. transitive To introduce (animals) together for the purpose of breeding.
  6. transitive, of an animal To copulate with.
  7. transitive To marry; to match (a person). If she be mated with an equal husband.
  8. obsolete, transitive To match oneself against; to oppose as equal; to compete with. There is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death.
  9. transitive To fit (objects) together without space between.
  10. intransitive To come together as companions, comrades, partners, etc. Indeed, some cases of devotion that were met with were quite touching; and very often to all appearances the pairs were not always mated from the same class of society.
  11. transitive To move (a space shuttle orbiter) onto the back of an aircraft that can carry it.

    Opposite: demate

mate²

  • /meɪt/
  • [meɪt] UK, US
  • [mɛjt] British, Southern, Standard
  • [meːt] Canada, Scotland
  • [mæɪt] Australia

Rhymes with -eɪt

Where it comes from

From Middle English verb maten, from Middle French mater, from Old French noun mat (“checkmate”), from Persian شاه مات (šâh mât).

noun mates

  1. abbreviation, clipping Clipping of checkmate

verb mates · mating · mated

  1. abbreviation, clipping Clipping of checkmate

mate³

  • /meɪt/
  • [meɪt] UK, US
  • [mɛjt] British, Southern, Standard
  • [meːt] Canada, Scotland
  • [mæɪt] Australia

Rhymes with -eɪt

Where it comes from

From Middle English maten (“to overpower”), from Old French mater (“to kill”), from Vulgar Latin *mattō, of unclear origin.

verb mates · mating · mated

  1. obsolete To confuse; to confound. I think you are all mated, or stark mad.

mate⁴

  • /meɪt/
  • [meɪt] UK, US
  • [mɛjt] British, Southern, Standard
  • [meːt] Canada, Scotland
  • [mæɪt] Australia

Rhymes with -eɪt

Where it comes from

See maté.

noun mates

  1. alternative Alternative spelling of maté, an aromatic tea-like drink prepared from the holly yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis).
  2. The abovementioned plant; the leaves and shoots used for the tea

Mate⁵

proper noun

  1. A barangay of Tayabas, Quezon, Philippines.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: first mate, teammate, match, pair, partner, paraguay tea, consort, couple, spouse, copulate, twin, ilex paraguariensis, married person, seaman, crewman, sailor

Translations

Every language

noun of breeding animal: sexual partner

Españolpareja
日本語相手 aite
हिन्दीसाथी sāthī, सहवासी sahvāsī
Portuguêsparceiro, parceira, parceiros, parceiras
Italianocopulatore, riproduttore
Ελληνικάσύντροφος sýntrofos, ταίρι taíri
Русскийпа́ра pára, саме́ц saméc, са́мка sámka

noun fellow, associate, colleague (in combination)

Españolsocio, compañero
हिन्दीसाथी sāthī
Portuguêscolega
DeutschKollege
Italianosocio, membro, affiliato
Ελληνικάσυνάδελφος synádelfos, συνεργάτης synergátis
Русскийтова́рищ továrišč, напа́рник napárnik, напа́рница napárnica

noun nautical: NCO or his subordinate in naval ranks

Русскийпомо́щник капита́на pomóščnik kapitána

noun nautical: ship's officer on commercial vessel

DeutschMaat
Italianosecondo, ufficiale in seconda
Ελληνικάυποπλοίαρχος ypoploíarchos

noun friend — see also friend

Españolmano, colega
한국어동무 dongmu
日本語友達 tomodachi
中文朋友 péngyǒu, 夥計 /伙计 huǒjì, 老兄 lǎoxiōng
हिन्दीमित्र mitra, सखा sakhā, साथी sāthī, बंधु bandhu
Portuguêsmano, camarada, cara, chapa
Françaiscopain, camarade
DeutschKumpel, Kollege, Freund
Italianocompagno, amico, camerata
Ελληνικάφίλος fílos
Русскийтова́рищ továrišč, друг drug, прия́тель prijátelʹ
العربيةصَدِيق ṣadīq

noun trade assistant

Italianoaiutante, assistente
Ελληνικάσυνέταιρος synétairos, συνεργάτης synergátis, συνάδελφος synádelfos

noun other member of a pair

Españolcompañero
DeutschGegenstück
Ελληνικάταίρι taíri

verb intransitive: copulate

中文交尾 jiāowěi, 交配 jiāopèi
हिन्दीसम्भोग sambhog
Portuguêsacasalar
Françaiss'accoupler
Deutschsich paaren
Italianocopulare, accoppiarsi, fare l'amore, fornicare, montare
Ελληνικάζευγαρώνω zevgaróno
Русскийспа́риваться spárivatʹsja

verb intransitive: pair in order to raise offspring

Españoljuntarse
Italianoaccoppiare
Ελληνικάζευγαρώνω zevgaróno
Русскийспа́ривать spárivatʹ

verb arrange in matched pairs

Portuguêsemparelhar
Ελληνικάζευγαρώνω zevgaróno

verb to put an opponent in checkmate

Русскийпоста́вить мат postávitʹ mat

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Cite this
MLA

"mate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/mate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

mate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/mate

Chicago

"mate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/mate.

BibTeX
@misc{mate_2026,
  title = {mate},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/mate},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}