mate

n. a friend or someone you spend time with.

n. 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.”

British English · Informal · Dialect

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

n. 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.”

Technical

n. one of a pair of animals that produce babies together.

n. 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.”

n. the other half of a pair of things.

n. 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.”

v. when animals come together to have babies.

v. 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.”

v. to join two parts together so they fit perfectly.

v. 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.”

Technical

n. a traditional South American caffeine drink made from dried leaves.

n. 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.”