the officer below the master on a commercial ship
"The first mate called all hands together to prepare the lifeboats before the storm hit."
the partner of an animal (especially a sexual partner)
"he loved the mare and all her mates"
"camels hate leaving their mates"
a person's partner in marriage
"After twenty years of being married, they decided to renew their vows as husband and wife before all their friends and family."
South American holly; leaves used in making a drink like tea
"After harvesting the south american holly known as mate, she boiled the dried leaves to brew a traditional energizing drink."
informal term for a friend of the same sex
"I'd love to grab lunch with my old mate from college later today."
South American tea-like drink made from leaves of a South American holly called mate
"After hiking up the Andes, we stopped at a small café to enjoy a refreshing cup of yerba mate."
A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate.
"After a long hike, we gathered around to share a hot cup of mate."
Clipping of checkmate.
Alternative spelling of maté, an aromatic tea-like drink prepared from the holly yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis).
In plain English: A mate is another person who you consider to be your friend and ally.
"I went for coffee with my old mate from school today."
Usage: Use "mate" as a noun to refer to a friend, companion, or coworker in informal British and Australian English contexts. Avoid using it for the South American herbal tea beverage unless specifically referring to that drink's alternative spelling.
To match, fit together without space between.
"The chess club was discussing the famous mate in three puzzle from last week's tournament."
Clipping of checkmate.
In plain English: To mate means to join with someone else, usually as partners for life or work.
"Let's go to the shops before they mate the animals together for breeding purposes tomorrow morning."
The word "mate" entered Middle English as a borrowing from Middle Low German, where it originally meant "messmate." Its roots trace back through Proto-Germanic to words for food and the concept of being together.