mate

See also: Appendix:Variations of "mate"

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English

Pronunciation

enPR: māt
IPA^(key): /meɪt/
- (US, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): [meɪt]
  - Audio (US): (file)
- (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): [mɛjt]
- (Canada, Scotland) IPA^(key): [meːt]
- (Australia) IPA^(key): [mæɪt]
  - Audio (Australia): (file)
Rhymes: -eɪt

Etymology 1

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

mate (plural mates)

A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate.
Synonyms: fellow, (poetic, archaic) fere
- 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 152:
  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.
(especially of a non-human animal) A breeding partner.
- 2015 April 16, Richard P. Grant, “Sex and the successful fundraiser”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:
  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.
(colloquial, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, sometimes elsewhere in the Commonwealth) A friend, usually of the same sex.
Synonyms: friend, buddy; see also Thesaurus:friend

I'm going to the pub with a few mates.

He's my best mate.
(colloquial, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, sometimes elsewhere in the Commonwealth) Friendly term of address to a stranger, usually male, of similar age.
Synonym: buddy

Excuse me, mate, have you got the time?
(nautical) In naval ranks, a non-commissioned officer or his subordinate (e.g. Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate, Sailmaker's Mate, etc).
(nautical) A ship's officer, subordinate to the master on a commercial ship.
(nautical) 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.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
  Ye knew me once no mate / For you; there sitting where you durst not soar.

Usage notes

In British and Irish English, mate remains more masculine‐leaning, though it is increasingly used as a gender‐neutral term among younger generations and in urban centres. In Australian and New Zealand English, while it was originally strictly masculine, it has broadened in recent decades to become a common unisex term of address, even when speaking to strangers.
The colloquial sense of a friend or comrade developed from the lateral use of terms like messmate and shipmate among sailors and laborers of equal rank. In the homosocial maritime and working‐class environments of the 15th to 19th centuries, this fostered a strong connotation of egalitarianism and male solidarity. In colonial Australia and New Zealand, the term also denoted an equal partner in a joint enterprise, especially on the goldfields (a role filled by partner in North American English). The shift toward a unisex application is a relatively modern sociolinguistic development.
In North America, this colloquial sense is rarely used natively and is strongly associated with British or Australasian speech. Instead, North American English relies on terms such as buddy, pal, or dude. In the US and Canada, mate is generally restricted to its biological sense (a breeding partner) or its formal nautical sense (as in first mate).

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

of breeding animal: sexual partner

Dutch: gezel (nl) m, partner (nl) m or f, paringsgezel m
Finnish: pari (fi), kumppani (fi)
Greek: σύντροφος (el) m (sýntrofos) (human), ταίρι (el) n (taíri)
Hindi: साथी (hi) m (sāthī), सहवासी (hi) m (sahvāsī)
Hungarian: pár (hu)
Icelandic: maka m
Irish: céile m, leathéan m (of a bird)
Italian: copulatore m, riproduttore (it) m
Japanese: 相手 (ja) (あいて, aite)
Malay: pasangan (ms)
Malayalam: ഇണ (ml) (iṇa)
Middle English: make
Old English: ġemaca m
Portuguese: parceiro (pt) m, parceira f, parceiros (pt) pl or m pl, parceiras f pl
Russian: па́ра (ru) f (pára), саме́ц (ru) m (saméc) (male), са́мка (ru) f (sámka) (female)
Spanish: pareja (es) f
Zazaki: çıt c

other member of a pair

Finnish: pari (fi)
German: Gegenstück (de) n
Greek: ταίρι (el) n (taíri)
Hungarian: pár (hu)
Middle English: macche, make
Middle English: macche
Spanish: compañero (es) m
Turkish: çift (tr)
Ottoman Turkish: اش (eş), چفت (çift), زوج (zevc)

nautical: ship's officer on commercial vessel

Bulgarian: помощник-капитан (pomoštnik-kapitan)
Dutch: maat (nl) m, scheepsmaat m
Finnish: perämies (fi)
German: Maat (de) m
Greek: υποπλοίαρχος (el) m (ypoploíarchos)
Hungarian: első tiszt (hu)
Italian: secondo (it) m, ufficiale in seconda m
Māori: mete
Welsh: mêt m, mêts m pl

nautical: NCO or his subordinate in naval ranks

Finnish: matruusi (fi)
Hungarian: altiszt (hu)
Māori: mete
Russian: помо́щник капита́на m (pomóščnik kapitána)

nautical: first mate — see first mate

trade assistant

Dutch: gast (nl) m, maat (nl) m
Finnish: apumies (fi)
Greek: συνέταιρος (el) m (synétairos), συνεργάτης (el) m (synergátis), συνάδελφος (el) m (synádelfos)
Hungarian: segéd (hu)
Italian: aiutante (it) m, assistente (it) m

friend — see also friend

Arabic: صَدِيق m (ṣadīq)
Burmese: မိတ် (my) (mit)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 死黨 / 死党 (sei² dong²), 朋友 (pang⁴ jau⁵), 老友 (lou⁵ jau⁵), 老死 (yue) (lou⁵ sei²)

Mandarin: 朋友 (zh) (péngyǒu), 夥計 / 伙计 (zh) (huǒjì), 老兄 (zh) (lǎoxiōng)
Dutch: maat(je) m or n, kameraad (nl) m, makker (nl) m, gabber (nl) m
Finnish: kaveri (fi)
French: copain (fr) m, camarade (fr) m
Georgian: ამხანაგი (amxanagi), მეგობარი (megobari)
German: (colloquial) Kumpel (de) m, Kollege (de) m (colloquial), Freund (de)
Greek: φίλος (el) m (fílos)
Hindi: मित्र (hi) m (mitra), सखा (hi) m (sakhā), साथी (hi) m (sāthī), बंधु (hi) m (bandhu)
Hungarian: haver (hu), pajtás (hu), cimbora (hu)
Irish: comrádaí m
Italian: compagno (it) m, amico (it) m, camerata (it) m
Japanese: 友達 (ja) (ともだち, tomodachi)
Korean: 동무 (ko) (dongmu)
Māori: (direct address) e hoa
Persian: رفیق (fa) (rafiq)
Portuguese: mano (pt) m, camarada (pt), cara (pt) m, chapa (pt) m
Russian: това́рищ (ru) m (továrišč), друг (ru) m (drug), прия́тель (ru) m (prijátelʹ)
Spanish: mano (es) m, colega (es) m or f
Turkish: kanka (tr), kardeş (tr)
Ottoman Turkish: گوڭلداش (gönüldaş)
Welsh: mêt m, mêts m pl
West Frisian: maat c, freon c
Woiwurrung: kirrip
Yucatec Maya: láakʼ

fellow, associate, colleague (in combination)

Bulgarian: другар (bg) m (drugar)
Finnish: toveri (fi)
German: Kollege (de) m
Greek: συνάδελφος (el) m (synádelfos), συνεργάτης (el) m (synergátis)
Hindi: साथी (hi) m (sāthī)
Hungarian: társ (hu)
Italian: socio (it) m, membro (it) m, affiliato (it) m
Middle English: mate, make
Portuguese: colega (pt) m or f
Russian: това́рищ (ru) m (továrišč), напа́рник (ru) m (napárnik), напа́рница (ru) f (napárnica)
Spanish: socio (es) m, compañero (es) m
Turkish:
Ottoman Turkish: قولداش (koldaş), یولداش (yoldaş), رفیق (refik), همراه (hemrah), آیاقداش (ayakdaş), حریف (herif)
Welsh: mêt m, mêts m pl

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

French: ^{(please verify)} copain (fr) m, ^{(please verify)} pote (fr) m
German: ^{(please verify)} Mate (de) m, ^{(please verify)} Matt (de) (5), ^{(please verify)} Kumpel (de) m
Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 相方 (ja) (aikata) (2), ^{(please verify)} 片割れ (ja) (kataware) (2), ^{(please verify)} 王手 (ja) (ōte) (5)
Telugu: ^{(please verify)} జత (te) (jata), ^{(please verify)} జతగాడు (te) (jatagāḍu), ^{(please verify)} జత గత్తె (jata gatte), ^{(please verify)} సహచరుడు (te) (sahacaruḍu), ^{(please verify)} సహాధ్యాయి (te) (sahādhyāyi)
Woiwurrung: ^{(please verify)} jerrup

Verb

mate (third-person singular simple present mates, present participle mating, simple past and past participle mated)

(intransitive) To match, fit together without space between.
Synonyms: match, couple, pair

The pieces of the puzzle mate perfectly.
(intransitive) To copulate.
Synonyms: couple; see also Thesaurus:copulate
- 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 172:
  “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 apes; in time we will no longer banish those of our people who mate with apes, and so in time we shall descend to the very beasts from which ages ago our progenitors may have sprung.”
(intransitive) To pair in order to raise offspring.
(transitive) To arrange in matched pairs.
(transitive) To introduce (animals) together for the purpose of breeding.
(transitive, of an animal) To copulate with.
(transitive) To marry; to match (a person).
- 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
  If she be mated with an equal husband.
(transitive, obsolete) To match oneself against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.
- 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Death”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
  There is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death.
- 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
  I, […] in the way of loyalty and truth, […] / Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be.
(transitive) To fit (objects) together without space between.
(intransitive) To come together as companions, comrades, partners, etc.
- 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 152:
  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.
(transitive, aerospace) To move (a space shuttle orbiter) onto the back of an aircraft that can carry it.
Antonym: demate

Derived terms

mating

Translations

intransitive: copulate — see also copulate,‎ pair

Bulgarian: съвокуплявам се (săvokupljavam se)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 交尾 (zh) (jiāowěi), 交配 (zh) (jiāopèi)
Dutch: paren (nl)
French: s'accoupler
German: sich paaren
Greek: ζευγαρώνω (el) (zevgaróno)
Ancient Greek: ὀχεύω (okheúō)
Hindi: सम्भोग (hi) m (sambhog)
Hungarian: párosodik (hu), párzik (hu)
Italian: copulare (it), accoppiarsi (it), fare l'amore (it), fornicare (it), montare (it)
Latin: coeō
Malay: awan (ms)
Naga:
Khiamniungan Naga: āchīe-íe
Nepali: चिक्नु (ne) (ciknu)
Polish: kopulować (pl) impf, spółkować (pl) impf, współżyć (pl) impf
Portuguese: acasalar (pt)
Russian: спа́риваться (ru) (spárivatʹsja)
Sanskrit: यभति (sa) (yabhati)
Swedish: para sig

intransitive: pair in order to raise offspring

Bulgarian: чифтосвам (bg) (čiftosvam)
Dutch: paren (nl)
Greek: ζευγαρώνω (el) (zevgaróno)
Ancient Greek: ὀχεύω (okheúō)
Hungarian: párosít (hu), pároztat (hu), fedeztet (hu)
Italian: accoppiare (it)
Malay: awankan
Russian: спа́ривать (ru) (spárivatʹ)
Spanish: juntarse (es)

arrange in matched pairs

Bulgarian: чифтосвам (bg) (čiftosvam)
Dutch: koppelen (nl), paren (nl)
Greek: ζευγαρώνω (el) (zevgaróno)
Hungarian: párosít (hu), párokba rendez, összepárosít (hu)
Portuguese: emparelhar (pt)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

French: ^{(please verify)} s'assembler
Korean: ^{(please verify)} 맞다 (ko) (matda), (causative) ^{(please verify)} 맞추다 (ko) (matchuda) (for fitting); ^{(please verify)} 짝짓다 (jjakjitda) (for breeding)

Etymology 2

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

Noun

mate (plural mates)

(chess) Clipping of checkmate.

Derived terms

Translations

checkmate — see checkmate

Verb

mate (third-person singular simple present mates, present participle mating, simple past and past participle mated)

(chess) Clipping of checkmate.

Translations

to put an opponent in checkmate

Bulgarian: матирам (bg) (matiram)
Czech: dát šachmat
Dutch: schaakmat spelen
Finnish: tehdä matti
Hungarian: megmattol (hu), mattot ad
Russian: поста́вить мат pf (postávitʹ mat)

Etymology 3

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

Verb

mate (third-person singular simple present mates, present participle mating, simple past and past participle mated)

(obsolete) To confuse; to confound.
- c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
  I think you are all mated, or stark mad.

Etymology 4

See maté.

Noun

mate (plural mates)

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

Anagrams

AEMT, ATEM, Atem, META, Meta, Tame, Team, Tema, meat, meta, meta-, tame, team

Asturian

Verb

mate

first/third-person singular present subjunctive of matar

Cebuano

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish mate.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmate/ [ˈma.t̪e]
Hyphenation: ma‧te

Noun

mate (Badlit spelling ᜋᜆᜒ)

(chess) a checkmate

Verb

mate (Badlit spelling ᜋᜆᜒ)

(chess) to checkmate; to put the king of an opponent into checkmate
- 2015 November 12, Pestaño, Frank, “Nganong mas Maayo ang Chess kay sa Sex”, in SuperBalita Cebu:
  Daghan kaayog paagi unsaon pag mate^[sic] sa chess. Minilyon gani ang mga position sa piyesa. Sa sex gamay ra ang positions ug ang uban ilegal pa.
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Interjection

mate (Badlit spelling ᜋᜆᜒ)

(chess) checkmate

Czech

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈmatɛ]

Verb

mate

third-person singular present of mást

Dutch

Pronunciation 1

Audio: (file)
Hyphenation: ma‧te

Noun

mate f (plural maten, diminutive maatje n)

archaic form of maat (“measure”)

Noun

mate

(archaic) dative singular of maat degree, extent
in welke mate ― to what degree

in zekere mate ― to a certain degree

in hoge mate ― to a great degree

met mate ― in moderation

In welke mate voel je je verantwoordelijk voor het ongeluk? ― To what degree do you feel responsible for the accident?

Usage notes

The usage of mate in modern Dutch likely mostly reflects a survival of its dative case form. The old nominative mate is more rare, although in a number of collocations such as de mate waarin ("the degree to which") it is still encountered, and with the simplification of the case system the old distinction between the nominative and old dative has become muddled.

Verb

mate

(dated or formal) singular past subjunctive of meten

Pronunciation 2

Audio: (file)

Noun

mate m (uncountable, no diminutive)

alternative spelling of maté

Fijian

Etymology

From Proto-Central Pacific *mate, from Proto-Oceanic *mate, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *mate, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *mate, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay, from Proto-Austronesian *(m-)aCay.

Adjective

mate

dead (no longer alive)
Synonyms: bale (of chiefs); toki yani (polite)

Sa mate o koya.
S/he is dead.
sick, ill (in poor health)
Au mate tiko.
I'm sick.
(figurative) exhausted, dead tired, spent (very tired)
Au mate sara ena cakacaka.
I'm exhausted from the work.

Noun

mate

death (cessation of life)
Siga ni Mate ― Good Friday (literally, “Day of Death”)
sickness, illness, disease
E dau levu na mate ena vula i caca.
There's a lot of sickness in the cold season.

Verb

mate (intransitive)

to die (to stop living)
Synonyms: bale (of chiefs); toki yani (polite)

E na mate na vuaka.
The pig will die.

Derived terms

mate na AIDS (“AIDS”)
mate na toa, kena isau na bici (“the exchange is not equal”) (idiom)
mate ni suka (“diabetes”)
mate ni uto (“heart disease”)
mate ni vakasama (“mental illness”)
mate ni veiyacovi (“venereal disease”)
mate ni vula (“menstruation”)
mate o vale dua ka bula ko vale rua (“said to someone who declines a meal invitation”) (idiom)
mate vakabalabala (“to die childless”) (idiom)
mate vakadua (“completely won over”) (idiom)
mate vou (“dropped prematurely (of fruit)”)
mateca (“to desire, to die for”)
matedewa (“infectious disease”)
matemate (“sickly; weakness”)
mateni (“drunk, intoxicated; mutton”)
matenikete (“stomach ache”)
mateniulu (“headache”)
matetaka (“sick with infectious disease”)
matewale (“useless, futile”)
tauvimate (“sick, sickness”)
vakamate (“to kill”)
vale ni mate (“hospital”) (archaic)
veivakamatei (“killing, manslaughter”)

References

Gatty, Ronald (2009), “mate”, in Fijian–English Dictionary‎^[2], Suva, Fiji: Ronald Gatty, →ISBN, pages 165–6

French

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mat/
Audio (France (Lyon)): (file)

Adjective

mate

feminine singular of mat

Verb

mate

inflection of mater:
1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

méat

Galician

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmate/ [ˈma.t̪ɪ]
Rhymes: -ate
Hyphenation: ma‧te

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French mat, mate.

Adjective

mate m or f (plural mates)

matte (not reflective of light)

Etymology 2

From xaque mate (“checkmate”), from Arabic شَاه مَاتَ (šāh māta), from Persian (šâh mât, “the king [is] dead”).

Noun

mate m (plural mates)

(chess) mate, checkmate
Synonym: xaque mate

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Quechua mati.

Noun

mate m (plural mates)

maté (the drink prepared from yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis)
Ilex paraguariensis, a plant used to make maté
Synonym: herba mate

Derived terms

herba mate

Etymology 4

From matar (“kill”).

Noun

mate m (plural mates)

(basketball) dunk (the act of dunking, particularly in basketball)

Verb

mate

inflection of matar:
1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
2. third-person singular imperative

Gothic

Romanization

matē

romanization of 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐌴

Italian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈma.te/
Rhymes: -ate
Hyphenation: mà‧te

Etymology 1

From Latin māter, from Proto-Italic *mātēr, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr.

Noun

mate m (plural mati)

(obsolete) mother
Synonym: madre

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish mate, from Quechua mati (“gourd”).

Alternative forms

matè (influenced from French maté)

Noun

mate m (invariable)

yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis)
maté (beverage)

Anagrams

Meta, meta, meta-, metà, team, tema

Japanese

Romanization

mate

Rōmaji transcription of まて

Kapampangan

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay (“die; dead; sick; tired (of)”), from Proto-Austronesian *ma-aCay (“die; dead; eclipse of sun or moon”), from Proto-Austronesian *aCay (“death”). Compare Ilocano matay, Tagalog matay, Central Bikol matay, Cebuano matay, Maranao matay, and Malay mati.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /məˈte/ [məˈtɛ]
Hyphenation: ma‧te

Adjective

mate

dead

Verb

mate

to die

Derived terms

kamatayan

Laboya

Verb

mate

to die

Derived terms

haʼmate (“to kill”)

References

Rina, A. Dj.; Kabba, John Lado B. (2011), “mate”, in Kamus Bahasa Lamboya, Kabupaten Sumba Bakat [Dictionary of Lamboya Language, West Sumba Regency], Waikabubak: Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata, Kabupaten Sumba Bakat, page 66

Lithuanian

Pronunciation 1

IPA^(key): [mɐˈtʲɛ]
Rhymes: -ɛ
Syllabification: ma‧tè

Noun

matè

locative singular of mãtas (“measure”)

Pronunciation 2

IPA^(key): [²ˈmɑːtʲɛ]
Rhymes: -ɑːtʲɛ
Syllabification: mã‧te

Noun

mãte

vocative singular of mãtas (“measure”)

Luba-Kasai

Noun

mate

saliva

Māori

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mate, from Proto-Oceanic *mate, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay, from Proto-Austronesian *(m-)aCay.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmate/ [ˈmɐtɛ]

Noun

mate

Derived terms

Verb

mate(stative)

to be dead, deceased, killed
to be sick, ill, unwell, diseased
to be defeated, conquered, beaten, overcome
to be in want of, deeply in love

Mapudungun

Noun

mate (Raguileo spelling)

The drink maté, prepared of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis).

References

Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Middle Low German mate (“messmate”), from Old Saxon gimato, from Proto-West Germanic *gamatjō. Doublet of mette.

The Middle Low German term was introduced to England via the cross‐cultural commercial networks of the Hanseatic League. Originally adopted as professional maritime and merchant jargon for a shipmate or trading partner, its prestige in the North Sea trade eventually caused it to displace the native doublet mette (“table companion”).

Alternative forms

mat, mayte

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmaːt(ə)/

Noun

mate (plural mates)

Descendants

English: mate
Scots: mate
Yola: moude, moud, maude

References

“māte, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Interjection

mate

alternative form of mat (“checkmate”)

Noun

mate

alternative form of mat (“checkmate”)

Adjective

mate

alternative form of mat (“checkmate”)

Etymology 3

Adjective

mate

alternative form of mat (“tired”)
inflection of mat:
1. weak singular
2. strong/weak plural

Etymology 4

Verb

mate

alternative form of maten (“to checkmate”)

Etymology 5

Verb

mate

alternative form of maten (“to overpower”)

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From mat.

Verb

mate (imperative mat, present tense mater, passive mates, simple past and past participle mata or matet, present participle matende)

to feed

Synonyms

fôre (about animals)

Related terms

mat (noun)

References

“mate” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

𑀫𑀢𑁂 (Brahmi script)
मते (Devanagari script)
মতে (Bengali script)
මතෙ (Sinhalese script)
မတေ (Burmese script)
มเต or มะเต (Thai script)
ᨾᨲᩮ (Tai Tham script)
ມເຕ or ມະເຕ (Lao script)
មតេ (Khmer script)
𑄟𑄖𑄬 (Chakma script)

Adjective

mate

inflection of mata (“dead; thought”):

Noun

mate

locative singular of mata (“opinion”)

Polish

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:

mate

Wikipedia ^pl

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish mate, from Quechua mati.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈma.tɛ/
Rhymes: -atɛ
Syllabification: ma‧te
Homophone: matę

Noun

mate f (indeclinable)

maté, yerba mate (shrub that produces the beverage maté)
Synonym: yerba mate
maté, yerba mate (beverage maté)
Synonym: yerba mate

Portuguese

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈma.t͡ʃi/

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈma.tɨ/

Rhymes: (Brazil) -at͡ʃi, (Portugal) -atɨ
Hyphenation: ma‧te

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish mate, borrowed from Quechua mati.

Noun

mate m (uncountable) (South Brazil)

maté (Ilex paraguariensis) (a shrub native to southern South America)
Synonyms: erva-mate, erva
maté (a beverage prepared from the leaves of this plant)
Synonym: chimarrão

Descendants

→ Hunsrik: Matt

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

mate

inflection of matar:
1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
2. third-person singular imperative

Rapa Nui

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mate, from Proto-Oceanic *mate, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay, from Proto-Austronesian *(m-)aCay.

Adjective

mate

dead (no longer alive)

Verb

mate

to die

Romanian

Etymology

Clipping of matematică.

Noun

mate f (uncountable)

(colloquial) maths

Samoan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mate, from Proto-Oceanic *mate, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay, from Proto-Austronesian *(m-)aCay.

Verb

mate (plural mamate)

(intransitive, polite, of animals, plants, fire, etc.) to die

Derived terms

References

Milner, G.B. (1993), Samoan Dictionary, Auckland: Polynesian Press, →ISBN, page 158

Shona

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *màtáì.

Noun

maté class 6

saliva (liquid secreted into the mouth)

Spanish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmate/ [ˈma.t̪e]
Rhymes: -ate
Syllabification: ma‧te

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French mat, mate.

Adjective

mate m or f (masculine and feminine plural mates)

matte (not reflective of light)

Etymology 2

From jaque mate (“checkmate”), from Arabic شَاه مَاتَ (šāh māta), from Persian (šâh mât, “the king [is] dead”).

Noun

mate m (plural mates)

(chess) mate, checkmate
Synonym: jaque mate
(colloquial, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua) a hand gesture
Synonym: ademán

Siempre me dan gracia sus mates. ― I always find his hand gestures funny.
(colloquial, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua) a feint; something feigned; a simulation
(colloquial, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua) a gesture that hints something

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Quechua mati.

Noun

mate m (plural mates)

maté (the drink prepared from yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis))
a hollow gourd or cup in which maté is traditionally served
Synonym: porongo
Ilex paraguariensis, a plant used to make maté
Synonyms: yerba mate, hierba mate
(colloquial, Southern Cone) head (top part of the body)
Synonym: cabeza

Derived terms

Descendants

→ English: maté, mate, (rare) matë
→ French: maté
→ Portuguese: mate
- → Hunsrik: Matt
⇒ Arabic: مَتَّة (matta)

Etymology 4

Possibly from mate in the sense of "dull" or "not reflective of light."

Adjective

mate m or f (masculine and feminine plural mates)

(South America) tan, tanned (skin colour)
Synonyms: bronceado, tostado

Etymology 5

Clipping of matemática.

Noun

mate f (plural mates)

(colloquial) math / maths
Synonym: mates

Etymology 6

Deverbal from matar (“kill”).

Noun

mate m (plural mates)

(basketball) dunk, slam dunk (the act of dunking: put the ball directly downward through the hoop while grabbing onto the rim with power)
Synonyms: clavada, volcada, retacada, hundida, donqueo

Verb

mate

inflection of matar:
1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
2. third-person singular imperative

Swahili

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *màtáì.

Pronunciation

Audio (Kenya): (file)

Noun

mate class VI (plural only)

saliva

Swedish

Alternative forms

matte (dated)

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish mate, from Quechua mati.

Noun

mate n

maté (beverage)
Synonym: paraguayte
- 1900, Jane Gernandt-Claine, Pampan‎^[4], Gernandts förlag, accessed at Litteraturbanken.se, courtesy of Uppsala universitetsbibliotek, archived from the original on 16 August 2025, page 57:
  [E]stancieron hade lärt sin syster att dricka mate.
  The estanciero had taught his sister to drink maté.

Declension

Declension of **mate**
		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	mate	mates
singular	definite	matet	matets
plural	indefinite	—	—
plural	definite	—	—

Derived terms

mateblad

References

“mate”, in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker [Dictionaries of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
“matte”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish mate, from jaque mate (“checkmate”), from Arabic شَاه مَاتَ (šāh māta), from Persian (šâh mât, “the king [is] dead”).

Pronunciation

(Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈmate/ [ˈmaː.t̪ɛ]
Rhymes: -ate
Syllabification: ma‧te

Noun

mate (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜆᜒ) (chess)

checkmate

Tahitian

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mate, from Proto-Oceanic *mate, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay, from Proto-Austronesian *(m-)aCay.

Adjective

mate

dead (no longer alive)

Verb

mate

to die

Tetum

Etymology

From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *mate, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay, from Proto-Austronesian *(m-)aCay.

Adjective

mate

dead (no longer alive)

Noun

mate

death

Verb

mate

to die

Tokelauan

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈma.te]
Hyphenation: ma‧te

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *mate. Cognates include Hawaiian make and Samoan mate.

Verb

mate (plural mamate)

(intransitive) to die
(stative) to be paralysed
(intransitive, of fire) to go out
(intransitive, of players) to go out
(intransitive, of engines) to stop

Usage notes

In the sense "to die", mate is normaly used to refer to plants and animals.
When used to refer to a human, mate may be perceived as either disrespectful or humorous.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *mate. Cognates include Tongan mate and Samoan mate.

Noun

mate

guess

Verb

mate

(transitive) to guess

Derived terms

matea

Etymology 3

Noun

mate

(to a male) sororal nephew

References

R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎^[5], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 229

Tongan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mate.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ma.te/

Noun

mate

death
the dead

Adjective

mate

dead

Uneapa

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *mate, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(m-)atay, from Proto-Austronesian *aCay.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mate/

Verb

mate

to die

Yola

Verb

mate

alternative form of maate
- 1788, A YOLA ZONG.:
  Th' ball want a cowlee, th' gazb mate all rize
  The ball o'ershot the goal, the dust rose all about.

References

Charles Vallancey (1788), “Memoir of the Language, Manners and Customs of an Anglo-Saxon Colony Settled in the Baronies of Forth and Bargie, in the County of Wexford, Ireland, in 1167, 1168 and 1169.”, in The Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy‎^[7], volume 2, Royal Irish Academy, page 40

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Usage notes

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

Translations

Etymology 3

Verb

Etymology 4

Noun

Anagrams

Asturian

Verb

Cebuano

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Verb

Interjection

Czech

Pronunciation

Verb

Dutch

Pronunciation 1

Noun

Noun

Usage notes

Verb

Pronunciation 2

Noun

Fijian

Etymology

Adjective

Noun

Verb

Derived terms

References

French

Pronunciation

Adjective

Verb

Anagrams

Galician

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Adjective

Etymology 2

Noun

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Noun

Derived terms

Etymology 4

Noun

Verb

Further reading

Gothic

Romanization

Italian

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

See also

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

Noun

Further reading

Anagrams

Japanese