Mate: meaning, definitions and examples

👫

Add to dictionary

mate

[ meɪt ]

^{Context #1}

friendship

A mate is a friend or companion, especially a close friend.

Synonyms

buddy, companion, friend

Examples of usage

He's my best mate.
We've been mates since college.
She's always been a loyal mate to me.

^{Context #2}

partner

In British English, a mate can also refer to a romantic partner or spouse.

Synonyms

partner, significant other, spouse

Examples of usage

She's looking for a life partner, a soul mate.
They've been together for years, they're perfect mates.

^{Context #3}

join together

To mate can also mean to join together for the purpose of procreation, especially used in the context of animals.

Synonyms

breed, copulate, pair up

Examples of usage

The lions mated in the wild.
The birds mated during mating season.

Translations

Translations of the word "mate" in other languages:

🇵🇹 companheiro

🇮🇳 साथी

🇩🇪 Kamerad

🇮🇩 teman

🇺🇦 товариш

🇵🇱 kolega

🇯🇵 仲間 (nakama)

🇫🇷 compagnon

🇪🇸 compañero

🇹🇷 arkadaş

🇰🇷 동료 (dongryo)

🇸🇦 رفيق (rafīq)

🇨🇿 kamarád

🇸🇰 kamarát

🇨🇳 伙伴 (huǒbàn)

🇸🇮 prijatelj

🇮🇸 félagi

🇰🇿 серіктес

🇬🇪 მეგობარი (megobari)

🇦🇿 yoldaş

🇲🇽 compañero

Word origin

The term 'mate' originated from Middle Low German 'māt' meaning 'companion' or 'mate'. It was first recorded in English in the 14th century. Over time, the word expanded in usage to refer to friends, romantic partners, and animals joining together for reproduction.