Webster's English Dictionary

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matrix

ma.trix \'ma--triks\ \'ma--tr*-.se-z, 'ma-\ \'ma--trik-s*z\ n or ma.tri.ces 
   or ma.trix.es [L, womb, fr. matr-, mater] pl  1a: the intercellular 
   substance of a tissue (as cartilage)  1b: the thickened epithelium at the 
   base of a fingernail or toenail from wh ich new nail substance develops 2: 
   something within which something else originates or develops  3: the 
   natural material in which a fossil, metal, gem, crystal, or pebble i s 
   embedded 4a: a mold from which a relief surface (as a stereotype) is made 
   by pouring  or pressing 4b: DIE  4c: an engraved or inscribed die or stamp  
   4d: an electroformed impression of a phonograph record used for mass-produc 
   ing duplicates or the original 5: a rectangular array of mathematical 
   elements (as the coefficients of sim ultaneous linear equations) that is 
   subject to special algebraic laws {a ~ combines with numbers and other 
   matrices}