mate
♦ mate /m'eɪt/ (mates mating mated)
1 [N-COUNT] usu with poss
You can refer to someone's friends as their mates, especially when you are talking about a man and his male friends. (BRIT INFORMAL)
He's off drinking with his mates...
= pal
2 [N-VOC]
Some men use mate as a way of addressing other men when they are talking to them. (BRIT INFORMAL)
Come on mate, things aren't that bad.
= pal
3 [N-COUNT] usu sing, oft poss N
Someone's wife, husband, or sexual partner can be referred to as their mate.
He has found his ideal mate.
= partner
4 [N-COUNT] usu poss N
An animal's mate is its sexual partner.
The males guard their mates zealously.
5 [V-RECIP] pl-n V, V with n, V (non-recip), V-ing
When animals mate, a male and a female have sex in order to produce young.
This allows the pair to mate properly and stops the hen staying in the nest-box...
They want the males to mate with wild females...
It is easy to tell when a female is ready to mate.
...the mating season.
6 [N-COUNT]
On a commercial ship, the mate or the first mate is the most important officer except for the captain. Officers of lower rank are also called mates.
...the mate of a fishing trawler.
7 [N-UNCOUNT]
In chess, mate is the same as checkmate.
8
see also cellmate, classmate, playmate, playmate, roommate,
running mate, schoolmate, soul mate, soul materun|ning mate (running mates)
[N-COUNT] oft poss N
In an election campaign, a candidate's running mate is the person that they have chosen to help them in the election. If the candidate wins, the running mate will become the second most important person after the winner. (mainly AM)
...Clinton's selection of Al Gore as his running mate.soul mate (soul mates)
also soulmate
[N-COUNT]
A soul mate is someone with whom you share a close friendship and deep personal understanding.
Steve and I became soul mates, near-constant companions.
1 [N-COUNT] usu with poss
You can refer to someone's friends as their mates, especially when you are talking about a man and his male friends. (BRIT INFORMAL)
He's off drinking with his mates...
= pal
2 [N-VOC]
Some men use mate as a way of addressing other men when they are talking to them. (BRIT INFORMAL)
Come on mate, things aren't that bad.
= pal
3 [N-COUNT] usu sing, oft poss N
Someone's wife, husband, or sexual partner can be referred to as their mate.
He has found his ideal mate.
= partner
4 [N-COUNT] usu poss N
An animal's mate is its sexual partner.
The males guard their mates zealously.
5 [V-RECIP] pl-n V, V with n, V (non-recip), V-ing
When animals mate, a male and a female have sex in order to produce young.
This allows the pair to mate properly and stops the hen staying in the nest-box...
They want the males to mate with wild females...
It is easy to tell when a female is ready to mate.
...the mating season.
6 [N-COUNT]
On a commercial ship, the mate or the first mate is the most important officer except for the captain. Officers of lower rank are also called mates.
...the mate of a fishing trawler.
7 [N-UNCOUNT]
In chess, mate is the same as checkmate.
8
see also cellmate, classmate, playmate, playmate, roommate,
running mate, schoolmate, soul mate, soul materun|ning mate (running mates)
[N-COUNT] oft poss N
In an election campaign, a candidate's running mate is the person that they have chosen to help them in the election. If the candidate wins, the running mate will become the second most important person after the winner. (mainly AM)
...Clinton's selection of Al Gore as his running mate.soul mate (soul mates)
also soulmate
[N-COUNT]
A soul mate is someone with whom you share a close friendship and deep personal understanding.
Steve and I became soul mates, near-constant companions.