mate

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈmāt How to pronounce mate (audio)
mated; mating
Synonyms of matenext

transitive verb

: checkmate sense 2

mate

2 of 5

noun (1)

: checkmate sense 1

mate

3 of 5

noun (2)

1
a(1)
: associate, companion
(2)
chiefly British : an assistant to a more skilled worker : helper
(3)
chiefly British : friend, buddy
—often used as a familiar form of address
b
archaic : match, peer
2
: a deck officer on a merchant ship ranking below the captain
3
: one of a pair: such as
a
: either member of a couple and especially a married couple
b
: either member of a breeding pair of animals
c
: either of two matched objects

mate

4 of 5

verb (2)

mated; mating

transitive verb

1
archaic : equal, match
2
: to join or fit together : couple
3
a
: to join together as mates
b
: to provide a mate for

intransitive verb

1
: to become mated
gears that mate well
2
: copulate

maté

5 of 5

noun (3)

ma·​té ˈmä-ˌtā How to pronounce maté (audio)
variants or mate
1
: a tealike beverage drunk especially in South America
2
: a South American shrub or tree (Ilex paraguariensis) of the holly family whose leaves and shoots are used in making maté
also : these leaves and shoots

Synonyms of mate

Relevance

Noun (2)

Verb (2)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of mate in a Sentence

Noun (2) have you seen the mate to this glove anywhere? that lout and his mates are known troublemakers in the neighborhood a plumber and his mate showed up to fix the sink in our London hotel room they vowed to each other that they would remain mates for life spent the weekend in London with some of his mates from Oxford Verb (2) cats conceive almost every time they mate
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Following additional ground tests, Apeiron will be mated again to its carrier aircraft for captive carry tests, followed by a drop test and ultimately a powered test flight above 80 km. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026 Or would Azriel instead mate with Gwyn, the traumatized priestess turned badass Valkyrie warrior whose early experience of violence echoes Azriel’s own? — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026 The combo is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and produces 1,064 hp and 811 ft lbs of torque. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2026 The government has a longstanding program to breed sterile male flies and drop swarms of them from planes to mate with wild females, causing the flies to die out. — Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mate

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French mater, from mat, noun, checkmate, ultimately from Arabic māt (in shāh māt)

Noun (2)

Middle English, probably from Middle Low German māt; akin to Old English gemetta guest at one's table, mete food — more at meat

Noun (3)

French & American Spanish; French maté, from American Spanish mate maté, vessel for drinking it, from Quechua mati vessel

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb (2)

1509, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

1758, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mate was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing mate

Rhymes for mate

See All Rhymes for mate

Browse Nearby Words

matchy-matchy
mate
maté
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mate. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

mate

1 of 3 noun
ˈmāt How to pronounce mate (audio)
1
a
: associate entry 2 sense 1, companion
b
: an assistant worker : helper
plumber's mate
2
: a deck officer on a merchant ship ranking below the captain
3
a
: either member of a married couple
b
: one of a breeding pair of animals
a dove and its mate
c
: either of two matched objects
the mate to a glove

mate

2 of 3 verb
mated; mating
1
: to join or fit together
2
a
: to bring or come together as mates
especially : marry entry 1 sense 1
b
: to provide a mate for
3
: copulate

maté

3 of 3 noun
ma·​té
variants or mate
ˈmä-ˌtā How to pronounce maté (audio)
: a fragrant beverage made from the leaves and shoots of a South American shrub or tree related to the hollies
also : this shrub or tree or its leaves and shoots

Medical Definition

mate

1 of 2 verb
ˈmāt How to pronounce mate (audio)
mated; mating

transitive verb

: to pair or join for breeding

intransitive verb

: copulate

maté

2 of 2 noun
ma·​té
variants or mate
ˈmä-ˌtā How to pronounce maté (audio)
1
: an aromatic beverage used chiefly in South America and especially in Paraguay that has stimulant properties like those of coffee
2
: a South American holly (Ilex paraguariensis) whose leaves and shoots are used in making maté
also : these leaves and shoots

More from Merriam-Webster on mate

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mate

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