- 1 [countable] (British English, Australian English, informal) a friend They've been best mates since school. I was with a mate. Wordfinderfriendacquaintance, bond, buddy, companion, comrade, friend, mate, neighbour, platonic, playmate Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebest, good verb + matehave See full entry See related entries: Friends friendly name
- 2 [countable] (British English, Australian English, informal) used as a friendly way of addressing somebody, especially between men Sorry mate, you'll have to wait. All right, mate? somebody you share with
- 3 [countable] (in compounds) a person you share an activity or accommodation with workmates/teammates/playmates/classmates my room-mate/flatmate see also running mate, soulmate bird/animal
- 4 [countable] either of a pair of birds or animals A male bird sings to attract a mate. sexual partner
- 5[countable] (informal) a husband, wife or other sexual partner Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivepotential, prospective, ideal, … verb + mateattract, find, choose, … See full entry job
- 6 [countable] (British English) a person whose job is to help a skilled worker a builder’s/plumber’s mate on ship
- 7 [countable] an officer in a commercial ship below the rank of captain or master see also first mate See related entries: People in sea travel in chess
- 8[uncountable] = checkmate Word Originnoun senses 1 to 7 late Middle English: from Middle Low German māt(e) ‘comrade’, of West Germanic origin; related to meat (the underlying concept was of eating together). noun sense 8 Middle English: the noun from Anglo-Norman French mat (from the phrase eschec mat ‘checkmate’); the verb from Anglo-Norman French mater ‘to checkmate’.Extra examples He’s a cheat and a gambler; hardly an ideal mate. He’s got loads of mates at school. Many matchmaking sites compile lists of potential mates using basic information. These birds have bright plumage to attract a mate. They’ve been good mates ever since they were at school together.
friend
Check pronunciation: mate
