mate

/meɪt/

/meɪt/

Other forms: mates; mating; mated

Someone's mate is their spouse, partner, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Your grandmother's long-term sweetheart is her mate. Awwww.

A husband or wife is one kind of mate, and animals have mates too, chosen for reproduction and sometimes to assist in raising babies. Anything that comes in a pair — like socks, contacts, shoes, or earrings — also has a mate. Your pal or buddy can be called a mate as well. As a verb, to mate means "to breed" or "to reproduce." In Middle Low German, mate means "one eating at the same table."

Definitions of mate

1. noun

   a person's partner in marriage
   synonyms: better half, married person, partner, spouse

   types:

   bigamist

   someone who marries one person while already legally married to another

   consort

   the husband or wife of a reigning monarch

   helpmate, helpmeet

   a helpful partner

   hubby, husband, married man

   a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

   monogamist, monogynist

   someone who practices monogamy (one spouse at a time)

   honeymooner, newlywed

   someone recently married

   polygamist

   someone who is married to two or more people at the same time

   married woman, wife

   a married woman; a partner in marriage

   battle-ax, battle-axe

   a sharp-tongued domineering wife

   benedick, benedict

   a newly married man (especially one who has long been a bachelor)

   bride

   a woman who has recently been married

   crown princess

   the wife of a crown prince

   cuckold

   a man whose wife committed adultery

   family man

   a man whose family is of major importance in his life

   first lady

   the wife of a chief executive

   golf widow

   a wife who is left alone much of the time because her husband is playing golf

   bridegroom, groom

   a man who has recently been married

   honest woman

   a wife who has married a man with whom she has been living for some time (especially if she is pregnant at the time)

   house husband, househusband

   a husband who keeps house while his wife earns the family income

   homemaker, housewife, lady of the house, woman of the house

   a wife who manages a household while her husband earns the family income

   marchioness

   the wife or widow of a marquis

   matron

   a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified

   mayoress

   the wife of a mayor

   missis, missus

   informal term of address for someone's wife

   old lady

   your own wife

   polyandrist

   a woman with two or more husbands

   polygynist

   a man with two or more wives

   prince consort

   a prince who is the husband of a reigning female sovereign

   sheika, sheikha

   the wife of a sheik

   signora

   an Italian title of address equivalent to Mrs. when used before a name

   trophy wife

   a wife who is an attractive young woman; seldom the first wife of an affluent older man

   ux., uxor

   (legal terminology) the Latin word for wife

   uxoricide

   a husband who murders his wife

   vicereine

   wife of a viceroy

   viscountess

   a wife or widow of a viscount

   type of:

   domestic partner, significant other, spousal equivalent, spouse equivalent

   a person (not necessarily a spouse) with whom you cohabit and share a long-term sexual relationship

   relation, relative

   a person related by blood or marriage
2. noun

   the partner of an animal (especially a sexual partner)
   “he loved the mare and all her mates”

   “camels hate leaving their mates”

   type of:

   animal, animate being, beast, brute, creature, fauna

   a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
3. noun

   one of a pair
   “he lost the mate to his shoe”

   synonyms: fellow

   type of:

   singleton

   a single object (as distinguished from a pair)
4. noun

   an exact duplicate
   synonyms: match

   type of:

   duplicate, duplication

   a copy that corresponds to an original exactly
5. noun

   informal term for a friend of the same sex
   type of:

   friend

   a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
6. noun

   a fellow member of a team
   synonyms: teammate

   type of:

   associate

   a person who joins with others in some activity or endeavor
7. noun

   the officer below the master on a commercial ship
   synonyms: first mate

   type of:

   officer, ship's officer

   a person authorized to serve in a position of authority on a vessel
8. verb

   engage in sexual intercourse
   “Birds mate in the Spring”

   types:

   nick

   mate successfully; of livestock

   have intercourse, have sex, love, roll in the hay

   have sexual intercourse with

   tread

   mate with

   serve, service

   mate with

   have, take

   have sex with; archaic use

   fornicate

   have sex without being married

   stand

   be available for stud services

   type of:

   conjoin, join

   make contact or come together
9. verb

   bring two objects, ideas, or people together
   synonyms: couple, match, pair, twin

   match

   give or join in marriage

   types:

   mismate

   provide with an unsuitable mate

   mismatch

   match badly; match two objects or people that do not go together

   type of:

   bring together, join

   cause to become joined or linked
10. noun

    a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king
    synonyms: checkmate

    type of:

    chess move

    the act of moving a chess piece
11. verb

    place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game
    synonyms: checkmate

    type of:

    beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish

    come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
12. noun

    South American holly; leaves used in making a drink like tea
    synonyms: Ilex paraguariensis, Paraguay tea

    type of:

    holly

    any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges
13. noun

    South American tea-like drink made from leaves of a South American holly called mate
    type of:

    beverage, drink, drinkable, potable

    any liquid suitable for drinking