mate

Meaning

Noun

1. A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate.
2. A breeding partner.
3. (colloquial) A friend, usually of the same sex.
4. (colloquial) Friendly term of address to a stranger, usually male, of similar age.
5. In naval ranks, a non-commissioned officer or his subordinate (e.g. Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate, Sailmaker's Mate, etc).
6. A ship's officer, subordinate to the master on a commercial ship.
7. A first mate.
8. A technical assistant in certain trades (e.g. gasfitter's mate, plumber's mate); sometimes an apprentice.
9. The other member of a matched pair of objects.
10. A suitable companion; a match; an equal.

Verb

1. To match, fit together without space between.
2. To copulate.
3. To pair in order to raise offspring.
4. To arrange in matched pairs.
5. To introduce (animals) together for the purpose of breeding.
6. To copulate with.
7. To marry; to match (a person).
8. (obsolete) To match oneself against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.
9. To fit (objects) together without space between.
10. To come together as companions, comrades, partners, etc.
11. To move (a space shuttle orbiter) onto the back of an aircraft that can carry it.

Verb

Clipping of checkmate.

Verb

To confuse; to confound.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/meɪt/

Etymology

From Middle English mate, a borrowing from Middle Low German mate (“messmate”) (replacing Middle English mette (“table companion, mate, partner”), from Old English ġemetta (“sharer of food, table-guest”)), 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.