matter
matters; mattered; mattering
Matter is everywhere: anything that has mass and takes up space is matter. Air? Donuts? People? Buildings? Melted butter? All of these, and much, much more, are matter.
Other kinds of matter don't have a physical form, like a concern, problem, or even something that people think about, like a worrisome money matter, a personal matter, or a movie with a particular subject matter. Matter can also be a verb, meaning "to be important," as in: "Good health matters to me."
Definitions of matter
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that which has mass and occupies space“physicists study both the nature of matter and the forces which govern it”
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types:
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substance
the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists
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substance
a particular kind or species of matter with uniform properties
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deposit, sediment
matter that has been deposited by some natural process
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ylem
(cosmology) the original matter that (according to the big bang theory) existed before the formation of the chemical elements
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dark matter
(cosmology) a hypothetical form of matter that is believed to make up 90 percent of the universe; it is invisible (does not absorb or emit light) and does not collide with atomic particles but exerts gravitational force
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antimatter
matter consisting of elementary particles that are the antiparticles of those making up normal substances
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glop
any gummy shapeless matter; usually unpleasant
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fluid
continuous amorphous matter that tends to flow and to conform to the outline of its container: a liquid or a gas
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goo, gook, goop, guck, gunk, muck, ooze, slime, sludge
any thick, viscous matter
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system
(physical chemistry) a sample of matter in which substances in different phases are in equilibrium
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residue
matter that remains after something has been removed
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solid
matter that is solid at room temperature and pressure
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solute
the dissolved matter in a solution; the component of a solution that changes its state
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emanation
something that is emitted or radiated (as a gas or an odor or a light, etc.)
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vegetable matter
matter produced by plants or growing in the manner of a plant
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food, nutrient
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
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nutrient
any substance (such as a chemical element or inorganic compound) that can be taken in by a green plant and used in organic synthesis
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body substance
the substance of the body
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living substance, protoplasm
the substance of a living cell (including cytoplasm and nucleus)
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food, solid food
any solid substance (as opposed to liquid) that is used as a source of nourishment
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alluvial deposit, alluvial sediment, alluvion, alluvium
clay or silt or gravel carried by rushing streams and deposited where the stream slows down
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dregs, settlings
sediment that has settled at the bottom of a liquid
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lees
the sediment from fermentation of an alcoholic beverage
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lick, salt lick
a salt deposit that animals regularly lick
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chemistry
the chemical composition and properties of a substance or object
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material, stuff
the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
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elixir, philosopher's stone, philosophers' stone
hypothetical substance that the alchemists believed to be capable of changing base metals into gold
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phlogiston
a hypothetical substance once believed to be present in all combustible materials and to be released during burning
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allergen
any substance that can cause an allergy
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assay
a substance that is undergoing an analysis of its components
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pyrectic, pyrogen
any substance that can cause a rise in body temperature
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pyrogen
any substance characterized by its great flammability
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mixture
(chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding)
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hydrocolloid
a substance that forms a gel with water
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precipitate
a precipitated solid substance in suspension or after settling or filtering
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plastic
generic name for certain synthetic or semisynthetic materials that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or filaments or used for making e.g. coatings and adhesives
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adulterant, adulterator
any substance that lessens the purity or effectiveness of a substance
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atom
(physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
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chemical element, element
any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter
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crackling, greaves
the residue that remains after animal fat has been rendered
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peat
partially carbonized vegetable matter saturated with water; can be used as a fuel when dried
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propellant, propellent
any substance that propels
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denaturant
any substance that serves as a denaturing agent
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activator
(biology) any agency bringing about activation; a molecule that increases the activity of an enzyme or a protein that increases the production of a gene product in DNA transcription
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inhibitor
a substance that retards or stops an activity
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ferment
a substance capable of bringing about fermentation
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substrate
the substance that is acted upon by an enzyme or ferment
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ash
the residue that remains when something is burned
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agent
a substance that exerts some force or effect
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carcinogen
any substance that produces cancer
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coal
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
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cotton cake, cottonseed cake
the solid matter remaining after oil has been pressed from cottonseeds
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digestive
any substance that promotes digestion
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dottle
the residue of partially burnt tobacco left caked in the bowl of a pipe after smoking
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element
one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe
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fomentation
a substance used as a warm moist medicinal compress or poultice
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fuel
a substance that can be consumed to produce energy
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gas
a fluid in the gaseous state having neither independent shape nor volume and being able to expand indefinitely
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glass
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
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crystal
a solid formed by the solidification of a chemical and having a highly regular atomic structure
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lube, lubricant, lubricating substance, lubricator
a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery
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medium
an intervening substance through which something is achieved
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medium
(biology) a substance in which specimens are preserved or displayed
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humectant
any substance that is added to another substance to keep it moist
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inoculant, inoculum
a substance (a virus or toxin or immune serum) that is introduced into the body to produce or increase immunity to a particular disease
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jelly
any substance having the consistency of jelly or gelatin
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leaven, leavening
a substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid
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fluid
a substance that is fluid at room temperature and pressure
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liquid
fluid matter having no fixed shape but a fixed volume
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sapropel
sludge (rich in organic matter) that accumulates at the bottom of lakes or oceans
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powder, pulverisation, pulverization
a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized
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refrigerant
any substance used to provide cooling (as in a refrigerator)
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evaporite
the sediment that is left after the evaporation of seawater
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lysin
any substance (such as an antibody) or agent that can cause lysis
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poison, poisonous substance, toxicant
any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism
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chemical irritant
a substance producing irritation
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antigen
any substance (as a toxin or enzyme) that stimulates an immune response in the body (especially the production of antibodies)
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dry ice
solidified carbon dioxide; dry ice sublimates at -78.5 C and is used mainly as a refrigerant
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volatile
a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor
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ectoplasm
(spiritualism) a substance supposed to emanate from the body of the medium during a trance
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essence
any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant properties of a plant or drug or other natural product from which it is extracted
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ligand
a substance (an atom or molecule or radical or ion) that forms a complex around a central atom
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metabolite
any substance involved in metabolism (either as a product of metabolism or as necessary for metabolism)
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vehicle
any substance that facilitates the use of a drug or pigment or other material that is mixed with it
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vitrification
a vitrified substance; the glassy result of being vitrified
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type of:
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physical entity
an entity that has physical existence
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some situation or event that is thought about“it is a matter for the police”
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types:
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area
a subject of study
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blind spot
a subject about which you are ignorant or prejudiced and fail to exercise good judgment
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remit
the topic that a person, committee, or piece of research is expected to deal with or has authority to deal with
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res adjudicata, res judicata
a matter already settled in court; cannot be raised again
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gray area, grey area
an intermediate area; a topic that is not clearly one thing or the other
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territory
an area of knowledge or interest
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type of:
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cognitive content, content, mental object
the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned
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a vaguely specified concern
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a problem
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(used with negation) having consequence“they were friends and it was no matter who won the games”
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type of:
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consequence, import, moment
having important effects or influence
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consequence, import, moment
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written works (especially in books or magazines)“he always took some reading matter with him on the plane”
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types:
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dictation
matter that has been dictated and transcribed; a dictated passage
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text, textual matter
the words of something written
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text
the main body of a written work (as distinct from illustrations or footnotes etc.)
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typescript
typewritten matter especially a typewritten copy of a manuscript
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front matter, prelims
written matter preceding the main text of a book
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back matter, end matter
written matter following the main text of a book
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soft copy
(computer science) matter that is in a form that a computer can store or display it on a computer screen
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hard copy
(computer science) matter that is held in a computer and is typed or printed on paper
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addendum, postscript, supplement
textual matter that is added onto a publication; usually at the end
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recitation
written matter that is recited from memory
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column
a page or text that is vertically divided
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cookie
a short line of text that a web site puts on your computer's hard drive when you access the web site
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copy, written matter
matter to be printed; exclusive of graphical materials
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draft, draft copy
any of the various versions in the development of a written work
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electronic text
text that is in a form that computer can store or display on a computer screen
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installment, instalment
a part of a published serial
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appendix
supplementary material that is collected and appended at the back of a book
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continuation, sequel
a part added to a book or play that continues and extends it
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letter, missive
a written message addressed to a person or organization
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line
text consisting of a row of words written across a page or computer screen
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lipogram
a text that excludes a particular letter or particular letters of the alphabet
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language, lyric, words
the text of a popular song or musical-comedy number
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stanza
a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem
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type of:
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piece of writing, writing, written material
the work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect)
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have weight; have import, carry weight
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘matter'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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