mate Meaning & Definition
What Does Mate Mean?
Mate is a noun that means A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate. It is also used to mean A breeding partner. As a verb, it means To match, fit together without space between. As a verb, it means Clipping of checkmate.
Mate in Brief
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /meɪt/ |
| Synonyms | spouse, match and copulate |
| Antonyms | demate |
| Plural | mates |
| Verb forms | mates, mating, mated |
Mate Definition (Noun)
- A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate.
- A breeding partner.
- A friend, usually of the same sex.
I'm going to the pub with a few mates.
- Friendly term of address to a stranger, usually male, of similar age.
Excuse me, mate, have you got the time?
- In naval ranks, a non-commissioned officer or his subordinate (e.g. Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate, Sailmaker's Mate, etc).
- A ship's officer, subordinate to the master on a commercial ship.
- A first mate.
- A technical assistant in certain trades (e.g. gasfitter's mate, plumber's mate); sometimes an apprentice.
- 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.
- A suitable companion; a match; an equal.
Mate as a Verb
- To match, fit together without space between.
The pieces of the puzzle mate perfectly.
- To copulate.
- To pair in order to raise offspring.
- To arrange in matched pairs.
- To introduce (animals) together for the purpose of breeding.
- To copulate with.
- To marry; to match (a person).
- To match oneself against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.
- To fit (objects) together without space between.
- To come together as companions, comrades, partners, etc.
- To move (a space shuttle orbiter) onto the back of an aircraft that can carry it.
Noun
- Clipping of checkmate.
Verb
- Clipping of checkmate.
Verb
- To confuse; to confound.
Noun
- Alternative spelling of maté, an aromatic tea-like drink prepared from the holly yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis).
- The abovementioned plant; the leaves and shoots used for the tea
Noun
- (especially of a non-human animal) A breeding partner.
Verb
- (of an animal) To copulate with.
Noun
- The conclusive victory in a game of chess that occurs when an opponent's king is threatened with unavoidable capture.
- (by extension) Any losing situation with no escape; utter defeat.
Verb
- To put the king of an opponent into checkmate.
That jerk checkmated me in four moves!
- (by extension) To place in a losing situation that has no escape.
Noun
- An evergreen tree, Ilex paraquariensis, native to South America, cultivated for its leaves.
- A beverage, resembling tea, made from the dried leaves of this plant.
- A cup of this drink.
Synonyms of Mate
Antonyms of Mate
Mate in a Sentence
I'm going to the pub with a few mates.
He's my best mate.
Excuse me, mate, have you got the time?
I found one of the socks I wanted to wear, but I couldn't find its mate.
The pieces of the puzzle mate perfectly.
That jerk checkmated me in four moves!
Word Forms & Grammar
mate (plural mates)
mate (third-person singular simple present mates, present participle mating, simple past and past participle mated)
Words That Rhyme With Mate
Origin of Mate
Origin 1: From Middle English mate, borrowed from Middle Low German mate (“messmate”), earlier gemate, with loss of the prefix. From Old Saxon *gimato, from Proto-West Germanic *gamatō,[1] from Proto-Germanic *gamatô (“messmate, table companion”).[2]
Origin 2: Compare native Middle English mett, mette (“table companion, mate, partner”), from Old English ġemetta (“sharer of food, table‐guest”), which reflects the related *gamatjô.[2]
Origin 3: Related terms include German Low German Maat (“journeyman, companion”), German Maat (“naval non‐commissioned officer”), Dutch maat (“mate, partner, colleague, friend”) and Saterland Frisian Moat (“friend, buddy, comrade, mate”). More at Old English ġe-, English co-, English meat. Doublet of maat.
Origin 4: Compare typologically Latin compāniō (whence companion) (< con- + panis + -ō), Russian однока́шник (odnokášnik) (< одно- (odno-) + ка́ша (káša) + -ник (-nik)).
Quick Answers About Mate
Is mate a noun or a verb?
Mate is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for mate?
You can replace mate with words such as spouse, match and copulate. See the full list of mate synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of mate?
The opposite of mate is demate.
What is the plural of mate?
The plural of mate is mates.
What is the past tense of mate?
The past tense of mate is mated. The present participle is mating.