matter

/ˈmædər/

/ˈmætə/

Other forms: matters; mattered; mattering

Matter is everywhere: anything that has mass and takes up space is matter. Air? Donuts? People? Buildings? Melted butter? All of these, and much, much more, are matter.

Other kinds of matter don't have a physical form, like a concern, problem, or even something that people think about, like a worrisome money matter, a personal matter, or a movie with a particular subject matter. Matter can also be a verb, meaning "to be important," as in: "Good health matters to me."

Definitions of matter

1. noun

   that which has mass and occupies space
   “physicists study both the nature of matter and the forces which govern it”

   types:

   substance

   the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists

   substance

   a particular kind or species of matter with uniform properties

   deposit, sediment

   matter that has been deposited by some natural process

   ylem

   (cosmology) the original matter that (according to the big bang theory) existed before the formation of the chemical elements

   dark matter

   (cosmology) a hypothetical, invisible form of matter that is believed to make up 90 percent of the universe; it does not absorb or emit light, and does not collide with atomic particles, but exerts gravitational force

   antimatter

   matter consisting of elementary particles that are the antiparticles of those making up normal substances

   glop

   any gummy shapeless matter; usually unpleasant

   fluid

   continuous amorphous matter that tends to flow and to conform to the outline of its container: a liquid or a gas

   goo, gook, goop, guck, gunk, muck, ooze, slime, sludge

   any thick, viscous matter

   system

   (physical chemistry) a sample of matter in which substances in different phases are in equilibrium

   residue

   matter that remains after something has been removed

   solid

   matter that is solid at room temperature and pressure

   solute

   the dissolved matter in a solution; the component of a solution that changes its state

   emanation

   something that is emitted or radiated (as a gas or an odor or a light, etc.)

   vegetable matter

   matter produced by plants or growing in the manner of a plant

   food, nutrient

   any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

   nutrient

   any substance (such as a chemical element or inorganic compound) that can be taken in by a green plant and used in organic synthesis

   body substance

   the substance of the body

   living substance, protoplasm

   the substance of a living cell (including cytoplasm and nucleus)

   food, solid food

   any solid substance (as opposed to liquid) that is used as a source of nourishment

   alluvial deposit, alluvial sediment, alluvion, alluvium

   clay or silt or gravel carried by rushing streams and deposited where the stream slows down

   dregs, settlings

   sediment that has settled at the bottom of a liquid

   lees

   the sediment from fermentation of an alcoholic beverage

   lick, salt lick

   a salt deposit that animals regularly lick

   chemistry

   the chemical composition and properties of a substance or object

   material, stuff

   the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

   elixir, philosopher's stone, philosophers' stone

   hypothetical substance that the alchemists believed to be capable of changing base metals into gold

   phlogiston

   a hypothetical substance once believed to be present in all combustible materials and to be released during burning

   allergen

   any substance that can cause an allergy

   assay

   a substance that is undergoing an analysis of its components

   pyrectic, pyrogen

   any substance that can cause a rise in body temperature

   pyrogen

   any substance characterized by its great flammability

   mixture

   (chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding)

   hydrocolloid

   a substance that forms a gel with water

   precipitate

   a precipitated solid substance in suspension or after settling or filtering

   plastic

   generic name for certain synthetic or semisynthetic materials that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or filaments or used for making e.g. coatings and adhesives

   adulterant, adulterator

   any substance that lessens the purity or effectiveness of a substance

   atom

   (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element

   chemical element, element

   any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter

   crackling, greaves

   the residue that remains after animal fat has been rendered

   peat

   partially carbonized vegetable matter saturated with water; can be used as a fuel when dried

   propellant, propellent

   any substance that propels

   denaturant

   any substance that serves as a denaturing agent

   activator

   (biology) any agency bringing about activation; a molecule that increases the activity of an enzyme or a protein that increases the production of a gene product in DNA transcription

   inhibitor

   a substance that retards or stops an activity

   ferment

   a substance capable of bringing about fermentation

   substrate

   the substance that is acted upon by an enzyme or ferment

   ash

   the residue that remains when something is burned

   agent

   a substance that exerts some force or effect

   carcinogen

   any substance that produces cancer

   coal

   fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period

   cotton cake, cottonseed cake

   the solid matter remaining after oil has been pressed from cottonseeds

   digestive

   any substance that promotes digestion

   dottle

   the residue of partially burnt tobacco left caked in the bowl of a pipe after smoking

   element

   one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe

   fomentation

   a substance used as a warm moist medicinal compress or poultice

   fuel

   a substance that can be consumed to produce energy

   gas

   a fluid in the gaseous state having neither independent shape nor volume and being able to expand indefinitely

   glass

   a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure

   crystal

   a solid formed by the solidification of a chemical and having a highly regular atomic structure

   lube, lubricant, lubricating substance, lubricator

   a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery

   medium

   an intervening substance through which something is achieved

   medium

   (biology) a substance in which specimens are preserved or displayed

   humectant

   any substance that is added to another substance to keep it moist

   inoculant, inoculum

   a substance (a virus or toxin or immune serum) that is introduced into the body to produce or increase immunity to a particular disease

   jelly

   any substance having the consistency of jelly or gelatin

   leaven, leavening

   a substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid

   fluid

   a substance that is fluid at room temperature and pressure

   liquid

   fluid matter having no fixed shape but a fixed volume

   sapropel

   sludge (rich in organic matter) that accumulates at the bottom of lakes or oceans

   powder, pulverisation, pulverization

   a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized

   refrigerant

   any substance used to provide cooling (as in a refrigerator)

   evaporite

   the sediment that is left after the evaporation of seawater

   lysin

   any substance (such as an antibody) or agent that can cause lysis

   poison, poisonous substance, toxicant

   any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism

   chemical irritant

   a substance producing irritation

   antigen

   any substance (as a toxin or enzyme) that stimulates an immune response in the body (especially the production of antibodies)

   dry ice

   solidified carbon dioxide; dry ice sublimates at -78.5 C and is used mainly as a refrigerant

   volatile

   a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to vapor

   ectoplasm

   (spiritualism) a substance supposed to emanate from the body of the medium during a trance

   essence

   any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant properties of a plant or drug or other natural product from which it is extracted

   ligand

   a substance (an atom or molecule or radical or ion) that forms a complex around a central atom

   metabolite

   any substance involved in metabolism (either as a product of metabolism or as necessary for metabolism)

   vehicle

   any substance that facilitates the use of a drug or pigment or other material that is mixed with it

   vitrification

   a vitrified substance; the glassy result of being vitrified

   type of:

   physical entity

   an entity that has physical existence
2. noun

   some situation or event that is thought about
   “it is a matter for the police”

   synonyms: issue, subject, topic

   types:

   area

   a subject of study

   blind spot

   a subject about which you are ignorant or prejudiced and fail to exercise good judgment

   remit

   the topic that a person, committee, or piece of research is expected to deal with or has authority to deal with

   res adjudicata, res judicata

   a matter already settled in court; cannot be raised again

   gray area, grey area

   an intermediate area; a topic that is not clearly one thing or the other

   territory

   an area of knowledge or interest

   type of:

   cognitive content, content, mental object

   the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned
3. noun

   a vaguely specified concern
   “several matters to attend to”

   synonyms: affair, thing

   types:

   least

   something that is of no importance

   type of:

   concern

   something that interests you because it is important or affects you
4. noun

   a problem
   “is anything the matter?”

   type of:

   problem, trouble

   a source of difficulty
5. noun

   (used with negation) having consequence
   “they were friends and it was no matter who won the games”

   type of:

   consequence, import, moment

   having important effects or influence
6. noun

   written works (especially in books or magazines)
   “he always took some reading matter with him on the plane”

   types:

   dictation

   matter that has been dictated and transcribed; a dictated passage

   text, textual matter

   the words of something written

   text

   the main body of a written work (as distinct from illustrations or footnotes etc.)

   typescript

   typewritten matter especially a typewritten copy of a manuscript

   front matter, prelims

   written matter preceding the main text of a book

   back matter, end matter

   written matter following the main text of a book

   soft copy

   (computer science) matter that is in a form that a computer can store or display it on a computer screen

   hard copy

   (computer science) matter that is held in a computer and is typed or printed on paper

   addendum, postscript, supplement

   textual matter that is added onto a publication; usually at the end

   recitation

   written matter that is recited from memory

   column

   a page or text that is vertically divided

   cookie

   a short line of text that a web site puts on your computer's hard drive when you access the web site

   copy, written matter

   matter to be printed; exclusive of graphical materials

   draft, draft copy

   any of the various versions in the development of a written work

   electronic text

   text that is in a form that computer can store or display on a computer screen

   installment, instalment

   a part of a published serial

   appendix

   supplementary material that is collected and appended at the back of a book

   continuation, sequel

   a part added to a book or play that continues and extends it

   letter, missive

   a written message addressed to a person or organization

   line

   text consisting of a row of words written across a page or computer screen

   lipogram

   a text that excludes a particular letter or particular letters of the alphabet

   language, lyric, words

   the text of a popular song or musical-comedy number

   stanza

   a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem

   type of:

   piece of writing, writing, written material

   the work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect)
7. verb

   have weight; have import, carry weight
   “It does not matter much”

   synonyms: count, weigh

   types:

   press, weigh

   to be oppressive or burdensome

   type of:

   be

   have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)