Skip to the word

Added 2 October 2026

mate

/meɪt/ noun

In Latin: coeō Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about mate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate.
A breeding partner.
A friend, usually of the same sex.
I'm going to the pub with a few mates.

verb

To match, fit together without space between.
The pieces of the puzzle mate perfectly.
To copulate.
To pair in order to raise offspring.

noun

Clipping of checkmate.

verb

Clipping of checkmate.

Origin

From Middle English mate, a borrowing from Middle Low German mate (“messmate”) (replacing Middle English mett, mette (“table companion, mate, partner”), from Old English ġemetta (“sharer of food, table-guest”)), from Old Saxon gimato, derived from Proto-Germanic *gamatjô, itself from *ga- (“together”) (related to German and Dutch ge-) + *matjô (from *matiz (“food”)), related to Old English mete (“food”)). From the same Middle Low German source stems German Low German Maat (“journeyman, companion”), German Maat (“naval non-commissioned officer”). Cognates include Saterland Frisian Moat (“friend, buddy, comrade, mate”), Dutch maat (“mate, partner, colleague, friend”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word