Webster's English Dictionary

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mat

1. mat \'mat\ n [ME, fr. OE meatte, fr. LL matta, of Sem origin; akin to 
   Heb mit]sub-dot>tsub-dot>a-h bed 1a1: a piece of coarse woven or plaited 
   fabric used as a floor covering or  support 1a2: a piece of material placed 
   at a door for cleaning shoes  1b: a decorative piece of material used as a 
   support for a dish or other sm all item 1c: a large thick pad or cushion 
   used as a surface for wrestling, tumbling,  and gymnastics 2: something 
   made up of many intertwined or tangled strands 
2. mat vb or mat.ted;  or mat.ting 1: to provide with a mat or matting  2: 
   to form into a tangled mass  : to become matted 
3. mat vt or mat.ted;  or mat.ting 1: to make (as a metal, glass, or color) 
   mat  2: to provide (a picture) with a mat 
4. mat or matte \'mat\ aj [F, fr. OF, defeated, fr. L mattus drunk; akin to 
   L made-re to b]e wet - more at MEAT : lacking or deprived of luster or 
   gloss : as  : having a usu. smooth even surface free from shine or 
   highlights {@ metals a ~ white face face} usu  : having a rough or granular 
   surface {a matte bacterial colony>
5. mat n [by shortening] 1: a border going around a picture between picture 
   and frame or serving as  the frame 2: a dead or dull finish or a roughened 
   surface (as in gilding or painting)  3: MATRIX