Mastic, Mastich, mas′tik, n. a species of gum-resin from the lentisk-tree: a cement from mastic: the tree producing mastic. [Fr.,—L. mastiche—Gr. mastichē—mas-tizein, to chew.]
Masticate, mas′ti-kāt, v.t. to chew: to grind with the teeth.—adj. Mas′ticable, that may be chewed.—ns. Masticā′tion, act or process of chewing; Masticā′tor, a machine for cutting up meat for people unable to chew: a machine used in purifying india-rubber.—adj. Mas′ticatory, chewing: adapted for chewing.—n. a substance chewed to increase the saliva. [L. masticāre, -ātum—mastiche, mastic.]
Masticot. Same as Massicot.
Mastiff, mas′tif, n. a thick-set and powerful variety of dog much used as a watch-dog. [Skeat follows Scheler and Diez in explaining mastiff as 'house-dog,' from an assumed O. Fr. mastif, prob. a variant of O. Fr. mastin (Fr. mâtin)—Low L. masnata, a family—L. mansion-em, a house. Others explain as O. Fr. mestif (Fr. métif), of mixed breed, mongrel, or O. Fr. mestis (métis), mongrel, or even as the above O. Fr. mastin (Fr. mâtin), all, through Low L. forms, from L. mixtus, mistus, miscēre, to mix.]
Mastitis, mas-tī′tis, n. inflammation of the mammary gland.—n. Mastodyn′ia, pain in the breast.—adj. Mas′toid, like a nipple or teat: denoting a part or process of the temporal bone.—n. Mastol′ogy, mammology. [Gr. mastos, a nipple.]
Mastodon, mas′to-don, n. a genus of extinct elephants, so named from the mamillary cusps or teat-like prominences on the molar teeth. [Gr. mastos, the breast, odous, odontos, a tooth.]
Masturbation, mas-tur-bā′shun, n. self-defilement, onanism.—v.i. Mas′turbate, to commit self-abuse.—n. Mas′turbator, one guilty of this. [L. masturbāri.]
Mat, mat, n. a texture of sedge, rushes, straw, &c. for cleaning the feet on: a web of rope-yarn: an ornamental border for a picture: a piece of cloth, &c. put below dishes on a table: anything like a mat in appearance, thick and closely set: any interwoven structure used as a revetment on river-banks, &c.: a sack of matting used to cover tea and coffee chests, such a sack containing a certain quantity of coffee: the closely-worked portion of lace: any annular pad to protect the head in bearing burdens.—v.t. to cover with mats: to interweave: to entangle:—pr.p. mat′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. mat′ted. [A.S. meatta—L. matta, a mat.]
Mat, mat, adj. and n. having a dull or dead surface, without lustre: an instrument by means of which such is produced.—v.t. to produce such a surface on metal. [Ger. matt, dull.]
Matador, Matadore, mat-a-dōr′, n. the man who kills the bull in bull-fights: one of the three chief cards at ombre and quadrille. [Sp. matador—matar, to kill—L. mactāre, to kill, to honour by sacrifice—mactus, honoured.]