mate meaning and definition

MATE noun

Definition of mate (noun)

1. the officer below the master on a commercial ship
   • synonyms: first mate
2. a fellow member of a team
   • "it was his first start against his former teammates"
   • synonyms: teammate
3. the partner of an animal (especially a sexual partner)
   • "he loved the mare and all her mates"; "camels hate leaving their mates"
4. a person's partner in marriage
   • synonyms: better half, married person, partner, spouse
5. an exact duplicate
   • "when a match is found an entry is made in the notebook"
   • synonyms: match
6. one of a pair
   • "he lost the mate to his shoe"; "one eye was blue but its fellow was brown"
   • synonyms: fellow
7. South American holly; leaves used in making a drink like tea
   • synonyms: Ilex paraguariensis, Paraguay tea
8. informal term for a friend of the same sex
9. South American tea-like drink made from leaves of a South American holly called mate
10. a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king
    • synonyms: checkmate

MATE verb

Definition of mate (verb)

1. engage in sexual intercourse
   • "Birds mate in the Spring"
   • synonyms: copulate, couple, pair
2. bring two objects, ideas, or people together
   • "This fact is coupled to the other one"; "Matchmaker, can you match my daughter with a nice young man?"; "The student was paired with a partner for collaboration on the project"
   • synonyms: couple, match, pair, twin
3. place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game
   • "Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves"
   • synonyms: checkmate