Mate vs. Mute

A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate.

(especially of a non-human animal) A breeding partner.

A friend, usually of the same sex.

Example: ‘I'm going to the pub with a few mates.’; ‘He's my best mate.’;

a colloquial "sir"; an informal and friendly term of address to a stranger, usually male, of similar age

Example: ‘Excuse me, mate, have you got the time?’;

(nautical) In naval ranks, a non-commissioned officer or his subordinate (e.g. Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate, Sailmaker's Mate, etc).

(nautical) A ship's officer, subordinate to the master on a commercial ship.

(nautical) A first mate.

A technical assistant in certain trades (e.g. gasfitter's mate, plumber's mate); sometimes an apprentice.

The other member of a matched pair of objects.

Example: ‘I found one of the socks I wanted to wear, but I couldn't find its mate.’;

A suitable companion; a match; an equal.

(chess) Short for checkmate.

alternative spelling of maté|nodot=1, an aromatic tea-like drink prepared from the holly yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis).

The abovementioned plant; the leaves and shoots used for the tea

(intransitive) To match, fit together without space between.

Example: ‘The pieces of the puzzle mate perfectly.’;

(intransitive) To copulate.

(intransitive) To pair in order to raise offspring

(transitive) To arrange in matched pairs.

(transitive) To introduce (animals) together for the purpose of breeding.

To copulate with.

(transitive) To marry; to match (a person).

(transitive) To match oneself against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.

(transitive) To fit (objects) together without space between.

To move (a space shuttle orbiter) onto the back of an aircraft that can carry it.

(intransitive) To win a game of chess by putting the opponent in checkmate

To confuse; to confound.

The Paraguay tea, being the dried leaf of the Brazilian holly (Ilex Paraguensis). The infusion has a pleasant odor, with an agreeable bitter taste, and is much used for tea in South America.

Same as Checkmate.

One who customarily associates with another; a companion; an associate; any object which is associated or combined with a similar object.

Hence, specifically, a husband or wife; and among the lower animals, one of a pair associated for propagation and the care of their young.

A suitable companion; a match; an equal.

Example: ‘Ye knew me once no mateFor you; there sitting where you durst not soar.’;

An officer in a merchant vessel ranking next below the captain. If there are more than one bearing the title, they are called, respectively, first mate, second mate, third mate, etc. In the navy, a subordinate officer or assistant; as, master's mate; surgeon's mate.

See 2d Mat.

To confuse; to confound.

To checkmate.

To match; to marry.

Example: ‘If she be mated with an equal husband.’;

To match one's self against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.

Example: ‘There is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death.’; ‘I, . . . in the way of loyalty and truth, . . .Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be.’;

To breed; to bring (animals) together for the purpose of breeding; as, she mated a doberman with a German shepherd.

To join together; to fit together; to connect; to link; as, he mated a saw blade to a broom handle to cut inaccessible branches.

To be or become a mate or mates, especially in sexual companionship; as, some birds mate for life; this bird will not mate with that one.

the officer below the master on a commercial ship

a fellow member of a team;

Example: ‘it was his first start against his former teammates’;

the partner of an animal (especially a sexual partner);

Example: ‘he loved the mare and all her mates’; ‘camels hate leaving their mates’;

a person's partner in marriage

an exact duplicate;

Example: ‘when a match is found an entry is made in the notebook’;

South American holly; leaves used in making a drink like tea

informal term for a friend of the same sex

South American tea-like drink made from leaves of a South American holly called mate

a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king

make love;

Example: ‘Birds mate in the Spring’;

bring two objects, ideas, or people together;

Example: ‘This fact is coupled to the other one’; ‘Matchmaker, can you match my daughter with a nice young man?’; ‘The student was paired with a partner for collaboration on the project’;

place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game;

Example: ‘Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves’;

Not having the power of speech; dumb.

Silent; not making a sound.

Not uttered; unpronounced; silent; also, produced by complete closure of the mouth organs which interrupt the passage of breath; said of certain letters.

Not giving a ringing sound when struck; said of a metal.

A stopped consonant; a stop.

An actor who does not speak; a mime performer.

A person who does not have the power of speech.

A hired mourner at a funeral; an undertaker's assistant.

(music) An object for dulling the sound of an instrument, especially a brass instrument, or damper for pianoforte; a sordine.

The faeces of a hawk or falcon.

(transitive) To silence, to make quiet.

(transitive) To turn off the sound of.

Example: ‘Please mute the music while I make a call.’;

Of a bird: to defecate.

(transitive) To cast off; to moult.

To cast off; to molt.

Example: ‘Have I muted all my feathers?’;

To eject the contents of the bowels; - said of birds.

The dung of birds.

One who does not speak, whether from physical inability, unwillingness, or other cause.

A letter which represents no sound; a silent letter; also, a close articulation; an element of speech formed by a position of the mouth organs which stops the passage of the breath; as, p, b, d, k, t.

A little utensil made of brass, ivory, or other material, so formed that it can be fixed in an erect position on the bridge of a violin, or similar instrument, in order to deaden or soften the tone.

Not speaking; uttering no sound; silent.

Example: ‘All the heavenly choir stood mute,And silence was in heaven.’;

Incapable of speaking; dumb.

Not uttered; unpronounced; silent; also, produced by complete closure of the mouth organs which interrupt the passage of breath; - said of certain letters. See 5th Mute, 2.

Not giving a ringing sound when struck; - said of a metal.

Example: ‘They spake not a word;But, like dumb statues, or breathing stones,Gazed each on other.’; ‘All sat mute,Pondering the danger with deep thoughts.’;

a deaf person who is unable to speak

a device used to soften the tone of a musical instrument

deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping

expressed without speech; especially because words would be inappropriate or inadequate;

Example: ‘a mute appeal’; ‘a silent curse’; ‘best grief is tongueless’; ‘the words stopped at her lips unsounded’; ‘unspoken grief’; ‘choking exasperation and wordless shame’;

lacking power of speech

unable to speak because of hereditary deafness