mate
Other forms: mates; mating; mated
Someone's mate is their spouse, partner, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Your grandmother's long-term sweetheart is her mate. Awwww.
A husband or wife is one kind of mate, and animals have mates too, chosen for reproduction and sometimes to assist in raising babies. Anything that comes in a pair — like socks, contacts, shoes, or earrings — also has a mate. Your pal or buddy can be called a mate as well. As a verb, to mate means "to breed" or "to reproduce." In Middle Low German, mate means "one eating at the same table."
Definitions of mate
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a person's partner in marriage
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synonyms:
better half, married person, partner, spouse
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types:
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bigamist
someone who marries one person while already legally married to another
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consort
the husband or wife of a reigning monarch
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helpmate, helpmeet
a helpful partner
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hubby, husband, married man
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
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monogamist, monogynist
someone who practices monogamy (one spouse at a time)
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honeymooner, newlywed
someone recently married
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polygamist
someone who is married to two or more people at the same time
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married woman, wife
a married woman; a partner in marriage
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battle-ax, battle-axe
a sharp-tongued domineering wife
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benedick, benedict
a newly married man (especially one who has long been a bachelor)
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bride
a woman who has recently been married
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crown princess
the wife of a crown prince
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cuckold
a man whose wife committed adultery
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family man
a man whose family is of major importance in his life
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first lady
the wife of a chief executive
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golf widow
a wife who is left alone much of the time because her husband is playing golf
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bridegroom, groom
a man who has recently been married
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honest woman
a wife who has married a man with whom she has been living for some time (especially if she is pregnant at the time)
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house husband, househusband
a husband who keeps house while his wife earns the family income
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homemaker, housewife, lady of the house, woman of the house
a wife who manages a household while her husband earns the family income
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marchioness
the wife or widow of a marquis
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matron
a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified
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mayoress
the wife of a mayor
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missis, missus
informal term of address for someone's wife
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old lady
your own wife
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polyandrist
a woman with two or more husbands
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polygynist
a man with two or more wives
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prince consort
a prince who is the husband of a reigning female sovereign
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sheika, sheikha
the wife of a sheik
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signora
an Italian title of address equivalent to Mrs. when used before a name
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trophy wife
a wife who is an attractive young woman; seldom the first wife of an affluent older man
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ux., uxor
(legal terminology) the Latin word for wife
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uxoricide
a husband who murders his wife
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vicereine
wife of a viceroy
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viscountess
a wife or widow of a viscount
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type of:
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domestic partner, significant other, spousal equivalent, spouse equivalent
a person (not necessarily a spouse) with whom you cohabit and share a long-term sexual relationship
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relation, relative
a person related by blood or marriage
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the partner of an animal (especially a sexual partner)
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one of a pair
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an exact duplicate
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synonyms:
match
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type of:
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duplicate, duplication
a copy that corresponds to an original exactly
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duplicate, duplication
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informal term for a friend of the same sex
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type of:
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friend
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
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friend
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a fellow member of a team
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the officer below the master on a commercial ship
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synonyms:
first mate
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type of:
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officer, ship's officer
a person authorized to serve in a position of authority on a vessel
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officer, ship's officer
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engage in sexual intercourse“Birds mate in the Spring”
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types:
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nick
mate successfully; of livestock
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have intercourse, have sex, love, roll in the hay
have sexual intercourse with
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tread
mate with
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serve, service
mate with
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have, take
have sex with; archaic use
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fornicate
have sex without being married
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stand
be available for stud services
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bring two objects, ideas, or people together
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a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king
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synonyms:
checkmate
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type of:
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chess move
the act of moving a chess piece
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chess move
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place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game
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South American holly; leaves used in making a drink like tea
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synonyms:
Ilex paraguariensis, Paraguay tea
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type of:
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holly
any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges
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holly
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South American tea-like drink made from leaves of a South American holly called mate
Pronunciation
US
/meɪt/
UK
/meɪt/
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