Matafunda, mat-a-fun′da, n. an old military engine which slung stones. [Low L., prob. Sp. matar, to kill, L. funda, a sling.]
Match, mach, n. a piece of inflammable material which easily takes or carries fire: a prepared rope for firing a gun, &c.: a lucifer.—ns. Match′-box, a box for holding matches; Match′lock, the lock of a musket containing a match for firing it: a musket so fired; Match′wood, wood cut down to a size suitable for making matches: wood broken into small pieces; Quick′-match, a match made of threads of cotton, and steeped in various inflammable substances so as to burn a yard in thirteen seconds; Safe′ty-match, a match which will only light when rubbed on a specially prepared surface; Slow′-match, a match made to burn at the rate of from four to five inches in an hour, for blasting, &c. [O. Fr. mesche (Fr. mèche)—Low L. myxus—Gr. myxa, the snuff or wick of a lamp.]
Match, mach, n. anything which agrees with or suits another thing: an equal: one able to cope with another: a contest or game: a pairing, a marriage: one to be gained in marriage.—v.i. to be of the same make, size, &c., to correspond: to form a union with.—v.t. to be equal to, to set a counterpart to anything: to be able to compete with: to find an equal to: to set against as equal: to suit: to give in marriage.—adj. Match′able.—ns. Match′board, a board with a tongue cut along one edge and a groove in the opposite edge, their joining being called a Match′-joint; Match′er.—adj. Match′less, having no match or equal: superior to all: peerless: unpaired.—adv. Match′lessly.—ns. Match′lessness; Match′-mak′er, one who makes matches: one who plans to bring about marriages. [A.S. gemæca, gemaca, a mate, a wife.]
Mate, māt, n. a companion: an equal: one of a pair, the male or female of animals that go in pairs: in a merchant-ship the first-mate is the second in command—in the navy the term is now confined to petty-officers, such as boatswain's mate, gunner's mate, &c.: an assistant, deputy.—v.t. to be equal to: to become a companion to: to marry.—adj. Mate′less, without a mate or companion. [A.S. ge-maca; Ice. maki, an equal, from the same root as make. Cf. match. Prob. mate in its naut. sense is Dutch—Old Dut. maet, mod. maat.]
Mate, māt, n. and v.t. in chess=Checkmate.
Mate, Maté, mä′tā, n. a South American species of holly, the leaves and green shoots of which, dried and roughly ground, furnish the yerba de mate of Paraguay and Brazil. [Sp. mate, orig. the vessel in which it was infused for drinking.]
Mate, māt, v.t. (Bacon) to weaken, to confound, to crush. [O. Fr. mater; cf. Sp. matar, to weaken.]
Matelasse, mat-las′ā, adj. and n. having a raised pattern on the surface as if quilted, of silks. [Fr. matelas, a mattress.]
Matelote, mat′e-lōt, n. fish stewed with wine-sauce, onions, &c. [Fr. matelot, a sailor.]