maté

UK: /ˈmɑːteɪ/, /ˈmæteɪ/ US: (mä′tā, mat′ā, mä tā′)

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

maté, mate / ˈmɑːteɪ ˈmæteɪ/ noun

1. an evergreen tree, Ilex paraguariensis, cultivated in South America for its leaves, which contain caffeine: family Aquifoliaceae
2. a stimulating milky beverage made from the dried leaves of this tree

Modern Greek name: Paraguay tea, yerba, yerba maté Etymology: 18th Century: from American Spanish (originally referring to the vessel in which the drink was brewed), from Quechua máti gourd

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

mate¹ /meɪt/   n., v., mat•ed, mat•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. a husband or wife;
   spouse.
2. a sexual partner of an animal:
   studying how baboons and their mates interact.
3. one of a pair:
   a mate of a glove.
4. [Chiefly Brit.] friend;
   buddy;
   chum (often used as a friendly term of address):
   Well, mate, let's get going.
5. a rank below a ship's captain:
   the first mate.
6. This word is used after a root or word with the meaning "a person who shares'':
   an office-mate (= someone sharing an office);
   a roommate (
   = someone sharing a room).

v. 

7. to (cause to) have sexual relations in order to breed, as animals: [no object]
   Those animals mate in the fall.
   [~ + object]
   Researchers tried to mate the female with the male.

mat•ing, adj. [before a noun]

the mating season, when animals display their courtship behavior.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

mate¹  (māt), n., v., mat•ed, mat•ing. 
n. 

1. husband or wife;
   spouse.
2. one member of a pair of mated animals.
3. one of a pair:
   I can't find the mate to this glove.
4. a counterpart.
5. an associate;
   fellow worker;
   comrade;
   partner (often used in combination):
   classmate; roommate.
6. friend;
   buddy;
   pal (often used as an informal term of address):
   Let me give you a hand with that, mate.
7. [Naut.]
   • Nautical See first mate. 
   • Nautical any of a number of officers of varying degrees of rank subordinate to the master of a merchant ship.
   • Nautical an assistant to a warrant officer or other functionary on a ship.
8. an aide or helper, as to an artisan;
   factotum.
9. a gear, rack, or worm engaging with another gear or worm.
10. [Archaic.] an equal in reputation;
    peer;
    match.

v.t. 

11. to join as a mate or as mates.
12. to bring (animals) together for breeding purposes.
13. to match or marry.
14. to join, fit, or associate suitably:
    to mate thought with daring action.
15. to connect or link:
    a telephone system mated to a computerized information service.
16. to treat as comparable.

v.i. 

17. to associate as a mate or as mates.
18. (of animals) to copulate.
19. (of animals) to pair for the purpose of breeding.
20. to marry.
21. Mechanics (of a gear, rack, or worm) to engage with another gear or worm;
    mesh.
22. [Archaic.] to consort;
    keep company.

• Middle Low German; replacing Middle English mette, Old English gemetta messmate, guest. See meat
• Middle English 1350–1400

mate′less, adj. 

mate²  (māt), n., v.t., mat•ed, mat•ing, interj. [Chess.]

1. Chess checkmate (defs. 1, 3, 5).

• Old French Persian; see checkmate
• Middle English mat defeated (adjective, adjectival), defeat (noun, nominal) 1175–1225

ma•te³  (mä′tā, mat′ā), n. 

1. Plant Biology maté.

ma•té  (mä′tā, mat′ā, mä tā′), n. 

1. Food a tealike South American beverage made from the dried leaves of an evergreen tree.
2. Plant Biology a South American tree, Ilex paraguariensis, that is the source of this beverage.
3. Plant Biology the dried leaves of this tree. Also, mate. Also called Paraguay tea, yerba maté. 

• Quechua mati
• American Spanish mate, origin, originally the vessel in which the herb is steeped
• 1710–20

Mat.E., 

1. Materials Engineer.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

mate / meɪt/ noun

1. the sexual partner of an animal
2. a marriage partner
3. a friend, usually of the same gender: often used between males in direct address
4. (in combination) an associate, colleague, fellow sharer, etc: a classmate, a flatmate
5. one of a pair of matching items
6. any officer below the master on a commercial ship
7. (in some trades) an assistant: a plumber's mate

verb

1. to pair (a male and female animal) or (of animals) to pair for reproduction
2. to marry or join in marriage
3. (transitive) to join as a pair; match

Etymology: 14th Century: from Middle Low German; related to Old English gemetta table-guest, from mete meat

mate / meɪt/ noun , verb

1. See checkmate