mat1

[mat] /mæt/
noun
1.
a piece of fabric made of plaited or woven rushes, straw, hemp, or similar fiber, or of some other pliant material, as rubber, used as a protective covering on a floor or other surface, to wipe the shoes on, etc.
2.
a smaller piece of material, often ornamental, set under a dish of food, a lamp, vase, etc.
3.
Sports.
  1. the padded canvas covering the entire floor of a wrestling ring, for protecting the contestants from injury when thrown.
  2. a thick pad placed on the floor for the protection of tumblers and others engaged in gymnastic sports.
4.
a thickly growing or thick and tangled mass, as of hair or weeds.
5.
a sack made of matting, as for coffee or sugar.
6.
a slablike footing of concrete, especially one for an entire building.
7.
a heavy mesh reinforcement for a concrete slab.
verb (used with object), matted, matting.
8.
to cover with or as if with mats or matting.
9.
to form into a mat, as by interweaving.
verb (used without object), matted, matting.
10.
to become entangled; form tangled masses.
Idioms
11.
go to the mat, to contend or struggle in a determined or unyielding way:
The president is going to the mat with Congress over the proposed budget cuts.
Origin
before 900; Middle English, Old English matte < Late Latin matta mat of rushes < Semitic; compare Hebrew mittāh bed
Related forms
matless, adjective

mat2

[mat] /mæt/
noun
1.
a piece of cardboard or other material placed over or under a drawing, painting, photograph, etc., to serve as a frame or provide a border between the picture and the frame.
verb (used with object), matted, matting.
2.
to provide (a picture) with a mat.
Origin
1835-40; apparently mat1, influenced by matte1

mat3

[mat] /mæt/
adjective, noun, verb, matted, matting.
1.
matte1 .

mat4

[mat] /mæt/
noun, Printing.
1.
the intaglio, usually of papiermâché, impressed from type or a cut, from which a stereotype plate is cast.
2.
matrix (def 8).
Origin
1920-25; shortened form of matrix

mat.

1.
matins.
2.
maturity.

M.A.T.

1.
Master of Arts in Teaching.
Examples from the web for mat
  • Water is removed from this mat of fibers by pressing and drying to make paper.
  • This idea was first discussed by mat ryer a computer software engineer based in london.
British Dictionary definitions for mat

mat1

/mæt/
noun
1.
a thick flat piece of fabric used as a floor covering, a place to wipe one's shoes, etc
2.
a smaller pad of material used to protect a surface from the heat, scratches, etc, of an object placed upon it
3.
a large piece of thick padded material put on the floor as a surface for wrestling, judo, or gymnastic sports
4.
(NZ) a Māori cloak
5.
(NZ) go back to the mat, to abandon urban civilization
6.
any surface or mass that is densely interwoven or tangled: a mat of grass and weeds
7.
the solid part of a lace design
8.
  1. a heavy net of cable or rope laid over a blasting site to prevent the scatter of debris
  2. a heavy mesh of reinforcement in a concrete slab
  3. (esp US) a steel or concrete raft serving as a footing to support a post
9.
(civil engineering) short for mattress (sense 3)
verb mats, matting, matted
10.
to tangle or weave or become tangled or woven into a dense mass
11.
(transitive) to cover with a mat or mats
Derived Forms
matless, adjective
Word Origin
Old English matte; related to Old High German matta

mat2

/mæt/
noun
1.
a border of cardboard, cloth, etc, placed around a picture to act as a frame or as a contrast between picture and frame
2.
a surface, as on metal or paint
adjective
3.
having a dull, lustreless, or roughened surface
verb (transitive) mats, matting, matted
4.
to furnish (a picture) with a mat
5.
to give (a surface) a mat finish
Also (for senses 2, 4) matt
Word Origin
C17: from French, literally: dead; see checkmate

mat3

/mæt/
noun
1.
(printing, informal) short for matrix (sense 5)

mat.

abbreviation
1.
matinée
Word Origin and History for mat
n.

loosely joined natural materials used as bedding, etc., Old English matte, from Late Latin matta "mat made of rushes" (4c.), probably from Punic or Phoenician matta (cf. Hebrew mittah "bed, couch"). Meaning "tangled mass" is from 1835. That of "piece of padded flooring used in gymnastics or wrestling" is attested from 1892; hence figurative phrase go to the mat "do battle" (1910). The Latin word also is the source of German Matte, matze; Dutch mat, Italian matta. French natte "mat, matting" is from Late Latin secondary form natta (cf. napkin).

"sheet of backing material," 1845, from French mat "dull surface or finish" (15c.), noun use of Old French mat (adj.); see mat (adj.).

adj.

1640s, "lusterless, dull" (of a color or surface), from French mat "dull, dead surface," from Old French mat "beaten down, withered, afflicted, dejected; dull," which is perhaps from Latin mattus "maudlin with drink," from madere "to be wet or sodden, be drunk," from PIE root *mad- "to be wet, drip" (see mast (n.2)). Or the French word might represent a transferred use from chess of mater "to checkmate, defeat," from Arabic (see mate (v.2)).

v.

early 15c., "to make mats," from mat (n.1). From 1540s as "to provide with mats, to cover with mats;" meaning "to become tangled" is from 1570s. Related: Matted; matting.

Slang definitions & phrases for mat

mat

noun

The floor; deck (1950s+ Navy)

Related Terms

go to the mat, on the mat


Related Abbreviations for mat

MAT

Master of Arts in Teaching

mat.

matinee
Idioms and Phrases with mat

mat

see: