matchable 
matchable (maeh'a-bl), . [< match 1 + -able..'] 
Capable of being matched; suitable for match- 
ing; corresponding in quality, character, or 
appearance. 
To tell my forces, matchable to none, 
Were but lost labour, that few would beleeve. 
Spenser, Ruins of Time, 1. 89. 
The Treasury and Library of the Emperor [of ^Ethiopia], 
neyther of which is thought to be matchable in the world. 
Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. 678. 
Those at land that are not matchable with any upon our 
shores. 
Woodward, Essay towards a Nat. Hist, of the Earth. 
matchableness (mach'a-bl-nes), . The state 
or quality of being matchable. B. Jonson. 
match-board (mach'bord), n. In carp., a board 
which has a tongue cut along one edge and a 
groove in the opposite edge, to enter the corre- 
sponding groove and receive the corresponding 
tongue of the boards to be placed in contiguity 
with it. Such boards are always planed smooth 
on one or both faces. Also called matched board. 
The walls . . . consist partly of brick piers and partly 
of corrugated iron lined by felt and matchboard. 
3656 
mate 
by means of a match in the form of a cord. Knujh t. _ 
matchlock (mach'lok), n. A musket furnished match-wood (mach'wud), n. 1. Wood in any 
with a match-lock; a gun fired by means of a form, whether in logs, scantlings, or boards, 
adapted to and designed for use in the manu- 
facture of matches. 2. Wood which has been 
sawn, or sawn and split, to the proper size for 
matches. 3. As a figure of speech, wood which 
has been broken or splintered into very fine 
pieces. 
The timber framed wagons have been smashed to match- 
wood. The Engineer, LXV. 278. 
mate 1 (mat), n. [< ME. mate (= OD. maet, D. 
maat = MLG. mat, mate = G. maat = Sw. Dan. 
mat), a companion, a var. (due in part, esp. in 
the naut. use, to the D. form) of maJce 2 : see 
make 2 , and of. match 1 .] 1. A familiar associate 
or companion; one who is associated with 
another or others in habitual intercourse or 
action ; a fellow ; a comrade : often used as the 
second element in a compound, as in playmate, 
schoolmate, shipmate. 
Butt and Lock of an Arab Matchlock. 
lighted match. Matchlocks were used in England till 
near the end of the seventeenth century, when they were 
superseded by flintlocks. 
Down from his cottage wall he caught 
The matchlock, hotly tried 
At Prestonpans and Marston-moor, 
By fiery Ireton's side. Whittier, The Exiles. 
A soldier with his matchlock, bow, and shield. 
R. H. Stoddard, Guests of the State. 
[< match i + .^i.] Ex _ 
_ V 
match-maker 1 (mach'ma // ker), n. [< match 1 , 
n., + maker.] One who plans or brings about 
marriages; especially, one who officiously or 
obtrusively engages in promoting a match or 
(maeh'ma"ker), n. [< match%, 
One who makes matches for 
Medical Newi, LII. 670. 
match-boarding (mach'bor"ding), n. A wall- 
lining con structed of match-boards. Also called 
matched boarding. When the boards used are beaded matchlockman (mach'lok-man), .; pi. match- 
on the outer face along the edge in which is the groove, lockmen (-men). A soldier armed with a match- 
the lining is properly called matched and beaded boarding. j oc ]j 
match-box (mach'boks), n. 1. A box for hold- . ',, / ma(>n 'm a 
ing matches.- 2. Milit., same as match-pipe. m * t , v L - "' : 
match-clotht (mach ' kldth), n. A kind of 
coarse woolen cloth, probably so called as re- 
sembling in texture the fur skins originally 
used for match-coats. 
match-coatt (mach'kot), n. A large loose coat 
formerly worn by American Indians, originally 
made of fur skins matched and sewed together, 
and afterward of match-cloth. burning 
The proper Indian match-coat, which is made of skins, match-making (mach'ma/king), n. [< match 1 , 
SSbougn?K ' ' ' ' TheDUfflel<3 ; + A] The act or practice of set- 
Beverley, Virginia, iii. H 3. ting one's self to bring about marriages. 
match-cord (mach'k6rd), n. A kind of slow- match-making (mach'ma'king), a. [<ate7 1 , 
match carried by musketeers of the sixteenth , + making,ppr.] Tending to make matches ; 
century for firing their matchlocks, having the aotlve m Dinging about marriages, 
form of a stout cord and carried loose in the Mingled with these groups were three or four match- 
hand or hooked to the belt or bandoleer. It * mammas. 
was lighted at one or both ends when carried match-pipe (mach'plp), n. A metal tube car- 
into action. ried by soldiers armed with matchlocks, to pro- 
matcher (mach'er), n. One who matches. tect the lighted match and to screen its light 
matcher-head (mach'er-hed),B. In wood-work- from the enemy. 
11117, the cutter-head of a planing-machine or a match-plane (mach'plan), n. Either of two 
tonguing-and-grooving machine. planes used to prepare boards for being joined 
by grooving and tonguing, one plane, called the 
plow, being used to form the groove, and the 
other to form the tongue. See match-board. 
match-plate (mach 'plat), n. In founding, a 
plate to the opposite sides of which are fas- 
tened correspondingly the two halves of a 
pattern, and which is then placed between the 
two sides of a flask and rammed up from both 
sides. The plate holds the pattern in position until the 
matchett, matchettet, Same as machete. 
match-gearing (mach'ger'ing), H. A gearing 
composed of two cog-wheels of equal diameter. 
E. S. Knight. 
match-hook (mach'huk), n. Naut., a tackle- 
hook consisting of a pair of hooks or a double 
hook shutting together so that each part serves 
as a mousing for the other. 
matching-machine (mach'ing-ma-shen"), n. 
A molding-machine for cutting the'tongues and 
grooves in the edges of match-boards. 
match-joint (mach'joint), 
Therefore a-shoar ; Mates, let our Anchor fall. 
Heer blowes no Winde ; heer are we Welcom all. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, i. 7. 
Why, how now, friends ! what saucy mates are you 
That know nor duty nor civility? Ford, "Us Pity, iii. 9. 
T3re, Bill ! . . . I worn't a-speaking to you, marrn ; I 
were a-speaking to my mate. Norris, Matrimony, xxxi. 
2. An equal ; a match. 
Your pride is yet no mate for mine. 
Tennyson, Lady Clara Vere de Vere. 
3. One of a pair; one who or that which cor- 
responds to or is joined with another in a pair; 
one of a pair of mated persons or animals, male 
and female, or of matched things ; one of two 
fellows: as, a conjugal mate or partner; these 
shoes are not mates. 
There shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with 
her mate. Isa. xxxiv. 16. 
Mary took another mate, 
But Dora lived unmarried till her death. 
Tennyson, Dora. 
4. A ship's officer whose duty it is to oversee 
the execution of the orders of the master or 
commander, or of his immediate superior, in a 
merchant ship the mate takes command of the ship in the 
absence of the captain or commanding officer. Large 
ships have a first, second, third, and sometimes a fourth 
mate. 
The danger quite forgot wherein they were of late ; 
Who half so merry now as master and his mate? 
Drayton, Polyolbion, ii. 426. 
Now mate is blind and captain lame, 
And half the crew are sick or dead. 
Tennyson, The Voyage. 
5. In the United States navy, an officer of the 
line not in the line of promotion Boatswain's 
mate. See boatm-ain. Carpenter's mate. See car- 
penter. Gunner's mate. See yunner. Inkhorn 
mate*. See inkhorn. Jersey mates (in humorous al- 
lusion to New Jersey), a pair of horses not matched in 
size or color. Also called Jersey match and Jersey team. 
[U.S.] Master's mate. Seemosteri. 
Slues. The plate holds the pattern in position until the i>.'.o.j auow DUMHIO. ^ - - 
sand is consolidated; the flask is then opened and the mate 1 (mat), V.; pret. and pp. mated, ppr. mat- 
Jined by Match-joints. 
and groove. 
match-plate removed, when, upon closing the flask again, 
. the two parts of the matrix come together. 
The joining ot match-pot ( mach 'VV< " A sm . a11 ves . se ! of 
incombustible material for holding friction- 
matches; specifically, such a vessel attached 
to a larger one, as to a lamp or vase. 
Two-handled Chinese vase of rock crystal, with a match- 
pot at the side. Hamilton Sale Cat., No. 600. 
match-rifling (mach 'rl"fling), n. In gmi-making, 
any one of various methods of rifling guns 
by which they are specially adapted to long- 
range shooting in shooting-matches. See rifle, 
rifling, and shooting-range. 
The Metford match-rifling is very expensive to produce, 
and once obtained requires great care to preserve it from 
rust and scratches. W. W. Greener, The Gun, p. 146. 
See 
match-Staff (mach'staf), n. 
match-boards, by tongue 
match-board, match-plane. 
matchless (mach'les), a. [< match 1 + -less.~) 
1. Having no match or equal; peerless; un- 
rivaled: as, matchless impudence; matchless match-safe (mach'saf), n. A vessel of incom- 
charms. bustible material for holding friction-matches. 
Warring in heaven against heaven's matchless King. 
Milton, P. L., iv. 41. 
Her look composed, and steady eye, 
Bespoke a matchless constancy. 
Scott, Marmion, ii. 21. 
2f. Not matched; not paired; hence, unshared; 
having no partner. 
Als as she double spake, so heard she double, 
With matchlesse eares deformed and distort. 
Spenser, F. Q., IV. i. 28. 
= Syn. 1. Unparalleled, incomparable, inimitable. 
in the upper end and a spike in the lower, used 
on shipboard to hold a slow-match, 
match-terms (mach'termz), n. pi. A corre- 
sponding pair of terms of two ratios, two ante- 
cedents or two consequents. 
Each couple of them which so agree and match toge- 
ther in like sirname or qnalitie are properly to be called 
match-termes or genderlike termes ; for in such cases the 
ing. [< mate 1 , n. Cf. match 1 , .] I. 'trans. 1. 
To join or match as a mate or as mates, as in 
marriage or other union. 
The hind that would be mated by the lion 
Must die for love. Shak., All's Well, i. 1. 102. 
Know you not what fate awaits you,' 
Or to whom the future mates you ? 
Bret Harte, An Arctic Vision. 
Do women never think of anything but matiny people 
who happen to be thrown together? 
C. D. Warner, Their Pilgrimage, p. 73. 
2. To match one's self with or against ; vie or 
cope with. [Rare.] 
Tall ash, and taller oak, that mates the skies. 
Dryden, tr. of Virgil's Georgics, ii. 93. 
II. intrans. To be joined in companionship ; 
form a union ; pair : as, to mate with one's like ; 
birds mate in spring. 
A staff with a slot mate 2 t (mat), a. [< ME. mate, maat, mat, < OF. 
one couple are the antecedents and the other couple are 
the consequents. T. HUls, Arithmetic (1600), viii. 
matchlessly (mach'les-l'i), adv. In a match- match-tub (mach'tub), n. In old war-vessels, a 
less manner; so as not to be equaled. tub having a cover perforated with holes, in 
matchlessness (mach'les-nes), n. The state which were fixed lighted slow-matches ready 
or quality of being matchless ; peerlessness. for use, and containing water to extinguish 
match-line (mach Hn), n. Same as niatcli-cord. sparks that might fall from the matches. 
mat = Pr. mat = Sp. Pg. mate, confounded, dull. 
= It. matto, fond, mad, = D. mat = MLG. mat 
= MHG. mat, G. matt = Sw. matt = Dan. mat, 
confounded, confused, dejected, dull; < ML. 
mattus, confounded, confused, dull (also check- 
mated ?), < Pers. (> Turk.) mat, astonished, 
confounded, amazed, receiving checkmate: 
shdhmdt, checkmate, lit. the king is dead : see 
checkmate. Cf. mate 3 . Cf. also mat 3 , < G. matt, 
dull, dim.l 1. Enfeebled; fatigued; spent. 
What of here hard heijing & of the hote weder, 
Meliors was al mat; sche ne migt no further. 
William of Falerne (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2441. 
Now thei ben moche at the werse, for thei ben wery and 
mate for trauaile. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 3%. 
