3. A suitable companion; a match; an equal.
Ye knew me once no mate
For you; there sitting where you durst not soar.
Milton. 4. (Naut.) An officer in a merchant vessel ranking next below the captain. If there are more than one
bearing the title, they are called, respectively, first mate, second mate, third mate, etc. In the navy, a
subordinate officer or assistant; as, master's mate; surgeon's mate.
Mate
(Mate), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mated; p. pr. & vb. n. Mating.]
1. To match; to marry.
If she be mated with an equal husband.
Shak. 2. To match one's self against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.
There is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death.
Bacon.
I, . . . in the way of loyalty and truth, . . .
Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be.
Shak. Mate
(Mate), v. i. To be or become a mate or mates, especially in sexual companionship; as, some
birds mate for life; this bird will not mate with that one.
Mateless
(Mate"less), a. [Cf. Matchless.] Having no mate.
Matelote
(Mat"e*lote) n. [F., fr. matelot a sailor; properly, a dish such as sailors prepare.] A dish of
food composed of many kinds of fish.
Mateology
(Ma`te*ol"o*gy) n. [Gr. mataiologi`a; ma`taios useless, vain + lo`gos discourse: cf. F. matéologie.]
A vain, unprofitable discourse or inquiry. [R.]
Mateotechny
(Ma`te*o*tech"ny) n. [Gr. mataiotechni`a; ma`taios vain + te`chnh art, science.] Any
unprofitable science. [Obs.]
Mater
(||Ma"ter) n. [L., mother. See Mother.] See Alma mater, Dura mater, and Pia mater.
Material
(Ma*te"ri*al) a. [L. materialis, fr. materia stuff, matter: cf. F. matériel. See Matter, and cf.
MatÉriel.]
1. Consisting of matter; not spiritual; corporeal; physical; as, material substance or bodies.
The material elements of the universe.
Whewell. 2. Hence: Pertaining to, or affecting, the physical nature of man, as distinguished from the mental or
moral nature; relating to the bodily wants, interests, and comforts.
3. Of solid or weighty character; not insubstantial; of consequence; not be dispensed with; important.
Discourse, which was always material, never trifling.
Evelyn.
I shall, in the account of simple ideas, set down only such as are most material to our present purpose.
Locke. 4. (Logic.) Pertaining to the matter, as opposed to the form, of a thing. See Matter.
Material cause. See under Cause. — Material evidence (Law), evidence which conduces to the
proof or disproof of a relevant hypothesis. Wharton.
