matte

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Art American English

n. a decorative border, usually made of cardboard, placed around a picture inside a frame.

n. a decorative border or mount, typically of card or paper, used to inset and centre a photograph or artwork within a frame.

“The white matte around the photo makes the colours look much brighter.”

“The gallery used acid-free mattes to ensure that the historical documents remained preserved while being displayed in heavy oak frames.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Theater Technical

n. a painted or digital background used in films to make it look like the actors are in a different place.

n. a background, traditionally painted on glass or now created digitally, used in filmmaking to represent a location not present during filming.

“The old sci-fi movie used a matte painting to show the alien city in the distance.”

“Modern visual effects have largely replaced traditional matte paintings with complex digital environments that allow for dynamic camera movement.”

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical

n. a mixture of metals created during the process of melting ore.

n. the impure product of the first smelting of certain ores, such as copper or nickel, consisting of a mixture of metal sulphides.

“The workers carefully moved the copper matte to the next stage of the refining process.”

“The chemical composition of the matte must be precisely monitored to ensure the efficiency of the subsequent conversion into pure metal.”

C2 · Proficiency Technical

v. to make a surface look dull or non-shiny.

v. to produce a dull, lustreless surface on a material, particularly metal or glass.

“The craftsman used a special tool to matte the silver surface of the bowl.”

“The glass was matted using a sandblasting technique to provide privacy while still allowing light to pass through the office partitions.”