# mate

/ˈmeɪt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mate
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a friend

noun · CEFR A2 · British English · Informal · Dialect

a friend or someone you spend time with.

For teachers: a friend or close companion; frequently used as a familiar term of address.

- I'm going to the cinema with a few mates from work tonight.
- He has been my best mate since primary school, and we still meet up every weekend to watch the football.

Usage: Commonly used in British, Australian, and New Zealand English; less common in American English.

### 2. ship's officer

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

an officer on a commercial ship who is below the captain.

For teachers: a deck officer on a merchant ship, subordinate to the master or captain.

- The first mate was responsible for the ship's cargo and the crew's schedule.
- After years of service as a second mate, he finally earned his certification to serve as a chief mate on international vessels.

### 3. breeding partner

noun · CEFR B2

one of a pair of animals that produce babies together.

For teachers: either member of a pair of animals that associate for the purpose of sexual reproduction.

- The male bird performs a complex dance to attract a mate.
- In many avian species, individuals will travel thousands of miles to return to the same mate each nesting season.

### 4. matched pair

noun · CEFR B2

the other half of a pair of things.

For teachers: the corresponding member of a matched pair of objects.

- I found one blue sock, but I can't find its mate anywhere.
- The collector spent years searching for the mate to the eighteenth-century porcelain vase he had inherited.

### 5. to breed

verb · CEFR B2

when animals come together to have babies.

For teachers: to pair for the purpose of reproduction; to copulate.

- Pandas in captivity sometimes find it difficult to mate naturally.
- Biologists observed the wolves mating in the early spring, suggesting that the pack's population would increase by summer.

### 6. to join or fit

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to join two parts together so they fit perfectly.

For teachers: to bring two parts or components into close physical contact or connection.

- Make sure the two electrical connectors mate properly before turning on the power.
- The technician carefully aligned the satellite components to ensure they would mate securely during the final assembly phase.

### 7. herbal tea

noun · CEFR B2

a traditional South American caffeine drink made from dried leaves.

For teachers: an infusion made from the leaves of the yerba mate plant, traditional in South American cultures.

- They sat in the park sharing a hot cup of mate through a metal straw.
- The consumption of mate is a significant social ritual in Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil.

Teaching tip: Often spelled with an accent (maté) to distinguish it from the English word for friend, though the accent is not strictly correct in Spanish.

## Examples

- I am going to the cinema with a mate tonight.
- He has been my best mate since we were in primary school together.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.