mate
/meɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [mˈet] /meɪt/ (ame, ipa) · [mˈet] /ˈmāt/ (ame, mw) · /ˈmæt.eɪ/ (bre, ipa) · [mˈet] /ˈmɑː.teɪ/ (ame, ipa)
mate — noun
- matesingular
- matesplural
1. a friend you know well and spend time with in a relaxed, informal way
a friend you know well and spend time with in a relaxed, informal way
Nila met an old mate outside the cinema after work.
informal noun: old mate
Diego still plays football every Sunday with his school mates.
Shirin asked her best mate to check the concert tickets.
When the train was late, Wei called a mate for company.
用法筆記
Common in casual British, Australian, and New Zealand English. It suggests personal familiarity, not just knowing someone from work.
常見錯誤
2. a casual word used when speaking directly to someone, often a man or a stranger
a casual word used when speaking directly to someone, often a man or a stranger
Excuse me, mate, is this seat free please?
vocative: mate in a request
Slow down, mate, the road is icy tonight.
Thanks, mate, that was exactly the tool I needed.
Sorry, mate, you dropped your receipt by the till.
- pal
similarly informal, but often sounds more playful or old-fashioned
用法筆記
Usually appears in direct speech. Distinguish from sense 2: here mate is how you address someone, not how you describe the relationship.
常見錯誤
3. a person who does a task, trip, sport, or period of work with you
a person who does a task, trip, sport, or period of work with you
Putri was my mate for the doubles final last Saturday.
partner in a shared activity
On the hike, my mate carried the map while I carried lunch.
During training, each recruit was assigned a mate from the same team.
Tariro became my mate on the night shift at the hospital.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense focuses on sharing a task or situation, not on close friendship.
常見錯誤
4. the person someone is married to or has a steady love relationship with
the person someone is married to or has a steady love relationship with
Putri brought her mate to the family wedding in Tainan.
informal word for a partner
After ten years abroad, Asher moved back in with his mate.
The form asked whether Maeve and her mate shared the lease.
My mate stayed beside me through the whole hospital night.
用法筆記
Usually refers to a serious relationship. Distinguish from sense 8, which is about sharing an activity or job rather than romance.
常見錯誤
5. an animal that another animal joins with in order to produce young
an animal that another animal joins with in order to produce young
In spring, each swan returns to the same mate by the lake.
animal breeding partner
The male fox searched the woods for a mate last winter.
Zookeepers kept the panda near a possible mate during breeding season.
A female penguin called loudly when her mate came back from sea.
- partner
more general and less tied to breeding
用法筆記
Usually used in biology or when talking about breeding animals, not about ordinary human relationships.
6. a worker who helps someone in a skilled job such as plumbing or carpentry
a worker who helps someone in a skilled job such as plumbing or carpentry
The plumber sent his mate to carry the new pipes upstairs.
trade job: plumber's mate
Ava learned to mix cement while working as a builder's mate.
The electrician's mate held the ladder during the repair.
Our roofer and his mate finished the shed before rain came.
用法筆記
Often appears after the name of a trade, as in plumber's mate or builder's mate.
7. a senior crew member on a commercial vessel below the captain
a senior crew member on a commercial vessel below the captain
After breakfast, the mate checked the cargo list on deck.
merchant ship officer
The captain asked the mate to watch the weather reports.
Christopher served as first mate on a grain ship last year.
- officer
broader and not limited to merchant shipping
用法筆記
Commonly appears in titles such as first mate or chief mate on commercial ships.
8. one of two things that are made to go together or look the same
one of two things that are made to go together or look the same
I found one glove, but its mate was under the bed.
one item in a pair
The museum finally recovered the mate to the broken vase lid.
This sock is darker than its mate after the wash.
- match
common everyday word for something that pairs correctly
- counterpart
more formal and wider in meaning
用法筆記
Usually refers to objects that belong in a pair, such as gloves, socks, or joined parts.
mate — verb
- matepresent simple I / you / we / they
- mates3rd person singular
- mating-ing form
- matedpast simple
1. if animals mate, they have sex to produce young; people can also pair animals fo
if animals mate, they have sex to produce young; people can also pair animals for breeding
Most deer mate in autumn before the weather turns cold.
intransitive: animals mate
The farmers mate the strongest ram with several ewes.
transitive: mate animals with each other
Penguins usually mate for the season after a long courtship.
Breeders refused to mate the dog until it was older.
- breed
close in meaning, especially in the transitive farming sense
文法句型
animals mate
mate animals with each other
用法筆記
Subject is usually animals, and the transitive pattern is common in farming or breeding contexts.
2. to join closely or to match another part so the two fit together properly
to join closely or to match another part so the two fit together properly
Push the two metal ends together until they mate.
parts fit together exactly
The new pipe would not mate with the old valve.
Engineers designed the plug to mate with several cables.
文法句型
parts mate
mate A with B
用法筆記
Objects are usually machine parts, plugs, pipes, or surfaces that must line up exactly.
mate — noun
- matesingular
- matesplural
1. checkmate in chess, or the final losing position created by it
checkmate in chess, or the final losing position created by it
One careless move left the king in mate on the next turn.
chess: be in mate
By move thirty, Black was already in mate after the rook check.
The puzzle looked simple, but the hidden mate came quickly.
- checkmate
the full and more common form
用法筆記
Mostly a chess term. In modern everyday English, full checkmate is more common than the shorter noun mate.
mate — verb
- matepresent simple I / you / we / they
- mates3rd person singular
- mating-ing form
- matedpast simple
1. to defeat an opponent in chess by trapping the king so it cannot escape
to defeat an opponent in chess by trapping the king so it cannot escape
With the queen on the corner square, Christopher mated Black in two moves.
chess: mate in two moves
The coach showed us how to mate with a rook and king.
Ava smiled after finally mating her brother in chess.
- checkmate
the more common full verb form
文法句型
mate someone in chess
mate in two
用法筆記
Usually appears in set patterns such as mate in two or mate with rook and king.
mate — noun
1. a South American drink made by soaking the dried leaves of a holly plant in hot
a South American drink made by soaking the dried leaves of a holly plant in hot water
Wei poured hot water over the mate before passing the cup.
drink: prepare and pass mate
At the market, David bought a bag of yerba mate.
On the bus through Argentina, Christopher drank mate to stay awake.
- yerba mate
the fuller name, especially for the dried leaves
用法筆記
Often written as maté in older texts, especially when the writer wants to highlight the South American drink.