mate
mate — noun
1. the creature that an animal pairs with to produce offspring together
the creature that an animal pairs with to produce offspring together
The female penguin returns to the same beach each year to find her mate.
singular possessive: her mate
A male peacock fans his colourful tail feathers to attract a mate.
attract a mate — collocation with attract
In many swan species, the male and female stay together as mates for life.
Eleni watched the pair of wolves, which had been mates for several winters.
- partner
used for both animals and humans, but more common for people
- breeding partner
more specific and scientific than mate
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively for non-human animals. For human relationships, use partner or spouse instead.
常見錯誤
2. a person you know well and like, especially someone you share activities or a ho
a person you know well and like, especially someone you share activities or a home with
Arjun and his flatmate have been close mates since their first year of university.
close mates — adjective + mate collocation
Joaquín went to the concert with a few mates from his football club.
Mayumi invited her old school mate to stay for the weekend at her place.
Shirin and Beatrix are not just teammates but also good mates outside of training.
A group of old mates meets every Friday at a café near the park.
用法筆記
Very common in British, Australian and New Zealand English. In American English, friend is preferred; mate in the friend sense can sound foreign or old-fashioned.
常見錯誤
3. used when speaking directly to someone in a friendly way, most often between men
used when speaking directly to someone in a friendly way, most often between men who know each other
"Hey mate, do you have the time?" asked the man at the bus stop.
opening address: Hey mate + question
Joshua clapped Eitan on the shoulder and said, "Thanks a lot, mate."
"No worries, mate, I will give you a hand with those bags," said Jisoo.
The taxi driver called out, "Where to, mate?" as Iris climbed into the back seat.
用法筆記
This is a vocative (form of direct address), not used as a subject or object. Distinguish from sense 2 (FRIEND), where mate is a noun referring to a person. Here it simply marks friendliness toward the listener.
常見錯誤
4. a person who works alongside and assists someone who has formal training in a sk
a person who works alongside and assists someone who has formal training in a skilled trade
Adisa started work as a plumber's mate before he got his own licence.
possessive noun + mate: plumber's mate
The electrician's mate handed him the tools as he worked on the wiring.
Iris spent two years as a builder's mate to learn the trade from scratch.
The chef's mate was in charge of chopping vegetables and washing all the dishes.
- assistant
more general; does not imply learning a trade
- apprentice
focuses on the training aspect rather than the helping role
用法筆記
Typically appears in the pattern [skilled worker]'s mate, e.g. plumber's mate, builder's mate. The mate is learning the trade while assisting.
5. an officer aboard a trading vessel who assists the captain and holds rank just b
an officer aboard a trading vessel who assists the captain and holds rank just below that position
The first mate checked the cargo list before the ship left the port.
first mate — standard nautical rank
Captain Larsen promoted Kevin to mate after three years of service at sea.
The mate kept watch on the bridge while the captain rested in his cabin.
On a cargo vessel, the mate is responsible for navigation and crew safety.
- first officer
more modern term, used on cruise ships and large vessels
- deck officer
broader term for any officer working on deck
用法筆記
Usually preceded by first, second or third to show the officer's seniority. This sense is specific to merchant (non-military) ships; the equivalent on a naval ship would be lieutenant.
6. a person's husband, wife or the person with whom they share a long-term romantic
a person's husband, wife or the person with whom they share a long-term romantic relationship
Eleni and her mate have been living together for over twenty years.
possessive: her mate — for a lifelong partner
The party was full of couples, each with their mates beside them at the table.
Shirin introduced her mate to the rest of the group during dinner.
Kevin and his mate decided to buy a house together after getting engaged.
用法筆記
This sense refers to human partners in a romantic or marital relationship, whereas sense 1 (SEXUAL PARTNER) refers to animal pairs. In modern usage, partner is more common than mate for human relationships.
常見錯誤
7. a drink prepared by steeping dried foliage from a South American shrub in hot wa
a drink prepared by steeping dried foliage from a South American shrub in hot water
In Argentina, people often drink mate from a hollow gourd through a metal straw.
drink mate — verb + beverage collocation
Jisoo tried mate for the first time at a small café in Buenos Aires.
The bitter taste of mate takes some getting used to for new drinkers.
Mate is often shared among friends as a social ritual in Paraguay and Uruguay.
- yerba mate
the full name, refers to both the drink and the plant
- Paraguay tea
an older English name for the beverage
用法筆記
Often spelled maté (with an accent) to distinguish it from the other senses. The accent is added in English to show the stress is on the second syllable: /mɑːˈteɪ/.
mate — verb
1. when two animals come together to breed and create offspring; or when a person a
when two animals come together to breed and create offspring; or when a person arranges for animals to do this
In spring, thousands of frogs return to the pond to mate and lay their eggs.
intransitive use: to mate
The zoo's breeding programme allows the pandas to mate in a safe and quiet space.
The dog breeder waited until the female was ready to mate with the chosen male.
These rare birds mate in early summer and build their nests soon after that.
The farmer mated the strongest bull with several cows to improve the herd.
文法句型
animals + mate
mate + with + [animal]
mate + [two animals]
用法筆記
Can be intransitive (the animals mate) or transitive (a person mates animals). The preposition with is used to indicate the partner: mate with. This verb is rarely used for human sexual activity in modern English.
常見錯誤
mate — suffix
1. used at the end of a noun to form a word meaning a person who shares a particula
used at the end of a noun to form a word meaning a person who shares a particular place, activity or situation with another person
My roommate and I take turns cleaning the kitchen every week.
roommate — shared living space
Henrik and his classmate worked together on the science project after school.
classmate — shared class/school
Iris was chosen as team captain by her teammates before the final basketball match.
Joaquín and his shipmate shared a small cabin on the vessel for six months.
Noor and her flatmate found a nice apartment close to the university campus.
文法句型
[noun] + mate
用法筆記
This is a productive suffix: you can form compounds like housemate, workmate, playmate, gym mate. The most common compounds are roommate, teammate, classmate and flatmate.