Definition of 'mat'

Word Frequency

mat

(mæt )

Word forms: plural mats

1. countable noun

A mat is a small piece of something such as cloth, card, or plastic which you put on a table to protect it from plates or cups.

The food is served on polished tables with mats.

Synonyms: table mat, coaster, place mat, doily More Synonyms of mat

2. countable noun

A mat is a small piece of carpet or other thick material which is put on the floor for protection, decoration, or comfort.

There was a letter on the mat.

Bring a sleeping bag and foam mat.

Synonyms: carpet, runner, rug, doormat More Synonyms of mat

3. countable noun [with supplement, usually NOUN of noun]

A mat of something such as grass or moss is a thick, untidy layer of it.

The houses are well spaced out, each on its own plot of ground and mat of coarse grass.

She touched the thick mat of sandy hair on his chest.

Synonyms: mass, shock, cluster, tangle More Synonyms of mat

4. See also matt, place mat

Image of
mat

mat in British English 1

(mæt )

noun

a thick flat piece of fabric used as a floor covering, a place to wipe one's shoes, etc

a smaller pad of material used to protect a surface from the heat, scratches, etc, of an object placed upon it

a large piece of thick padded material put on the floor as a surface for wrestling, judo, or gymnastic sports

4. New Zealand

a Māori cloak

5. go back to the mat

any surface or mass that is densely interwoven or tangled

a mat of grass and weeds

the solid part of a lace design

a heavy net of cable or rope laid over a blasting site to prevent the scatter of debris

a heavy mesh of reinforcement in a concrete slab

(esp US) a steel or concrete raft serving as a footing to support a post

9. civil engineering short for mattress (sense 3)

verbWord forms: mats, matting or matted

10.

to tangle or weave or become tangled or woven into a dense mass

11. (transitive)

to cover with a mat or mats

Derived forms

matless (ˈmatless)

adjective

Word origin

Old English matte; related to Old High German matta

Word Frequency

mat in British English 2

(mæt )

noun

a border of cardboard, cloth, etc, placed around a picture to act as a frame or as a contrast between picture and frame

a surface, as on metal or paint

adjective

having a dull, lustreless, or roughened surface

verbWord forms: mats, matting or matted (transitive)

to furnish (a picture) with a mat

to give (a surface) a mat finish

Also (for senses 2, 4): matt

Word origin

C17: from French, literally: dead; see checkmate

Word Frequency

mat in British English 3

(mæt )

noun

printing informal short for matrix (sense 5)

Word Frequency

mat. in British English

abbreviation for

matinée

Word Frequency

mat in American English 1

(mæt )

noun

a flat, coarse fabric made of woven or plaited hemp, straw, rope, rushes, etc., often used as a floor covering

a piece of this or of corrugated rubber, cocoa fiber, etc., used variously as a doormat, bathmat, or removable floor covering for a car

a flat piece of cloth, woven straw, etc., put under a vase, dish, or the like, or used as an ornament, as on a table

a pad, as of rubber or plastic, used to protect the surface of an oven, sink, etc.

a thickly padded floor covering, esp. one used in a gymnasium for tumbling, wrestling, etc.

anything densely interwoven or felted, or growing in a thick tangle

a mat of hair

6. Nautical

a thick web of rope yarn, used to protect rigging from wear

verb transitiveWord forms: ˈmatted or ˈmatting

to cover with or as with a mat or mats

to interweave, felt, or tangle together into a thick mass

verb intransitive

to be interwoven, felted, or tangled together into a thick mass

Idioms:

go to the mat

Word origin

ME matte < OE meatt < LL matta (> Ger matte) < Phoen word akin to Heb mittāh, a cover

Word Frequency

mat in American English 2

(mæt )

adjective

matte2

noun

matte2

a border, as of cardboard or cloth, put around a picture, either as the frame or, usually, between the picture and the frame

verb transitiveWord forms: ˈmatted or ˈmatting

to produce a dull finish on (metal, glass, etc.)

to apply a mat to (a picture)

Word origin

Fr < OFr mat, defeated, exhausted, prob. < L mattus, drunk < madidus, soaked, drunk < madere, to be drenched, drunk < IE base *mad-, to be wet, drip, juicy, fat > mast2, meat

Word Frequency

mat in American English 3

(mæt )

noun

Informal

a matrix; printing mold

Example sentences including
mat

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Most of us sleep on gym mats. Put a beer mat over the glass.Alternatively, you can use silicone mats. Use a mat knife to cut a cavity for the camera.Then suddenly a stack of bills landed on my door mat.She throws some exercise mats on the floor.We sleep on mats on the wooden floors.The class begins like any normal yoga class by putting down your mat and warming up.This mat is extra thick for added spinal support.Others crochet and weave bags and mats out of the tape.