matchwood (machwud)

1. Wood in any form, whether in logs, sca scantlings, or boards, adapted to and designed for use in the manufacture 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. matel (mat), n. [ mate (= OD. maet , D. maat = MLG. māt , mate = G. maat = Sw. Dan. mat ), a companion, a var. (due in part, esp. in the naut. use, to the D. form) of make2 : see make2 , and cf. match1 .] 1. A familiar a ociate or companion; one who is a ociated 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. 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 , 'Tis Pity, iii. 9. Ere, Bill!. I worn't a-speaking to you, marm; I were a-speaking to my mate . Norris, Matrimony, xxx i. 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 corresponds 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 IMG:content-0322.png:[graphic] shoes are not mates. There shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate . Isa. xxxiv. 15. 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 boatswain. - Carpenter's mate. See carpenter. Gunner's mate. See gunner. - Inkhorn matet. See inkhorn. - Jersey mates (in humorous allusion 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. See master1. matel (mat), (mat), v.; pret. and pp. mated, ppr. mat ing. [ 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 mating 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. Pr. mat = Sp. Pg. II. in trans. To be joined in companionship; form a union; pair: as, to mate with one's like; birds mate in spring. mate2t (mat), a. [ mate , maat , mat , mat = Pr. mat = Sp. Pg. mate , confound ed, dull, = It. mat to , fond, mad, = D. mat = MLG. mat = MHG. mat , G. matt = Sw. matt = Dan. mat , confounded, confused, dejected, dull; matt us , confounded, confused, dull (also che checkmated?), >Turk.) Turk.) mat , astonish confounded, amazed, receiving checkmate; shāhmāt , checkmate, lit. the king is dead: see checkmate. Cf. mates. Cf. also mat3, founded. What of here hard heizing & of the hote weder, Meliors was al mat ; sche ne mizt no further. William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2441.1 Now the i ben moc he at the werse, for the i ben wery and Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 396, mate for trauaile. IMG:content-0323.png:[blocks in formation] Him thoughte that his herte wolde breke, Whan he saugh hem so pitous and so maat That whilom weren of so greet estaat. wore wooden shoes and had their arms inter- twined behind their backs. mately (mat'li), a . In her ., same as urdé : as, a cro mately . in the wode, and were full mate and pens if for her kyn and frendes. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ii. 359. O Golias, unmesurable of leng the, How myghte David make thee so mat ! Luc. What, are you mad, that you do reason so? Ant. S. Not mad, but mated ; how, I do not know. vain, random talk, ματαιολόγος , talking at ran- dom, μάταιος , vain, idle, foolish (> μάτη , folly), + -λογία, -ology .] A vain discourse or inquiry. Also spelled matæology . [Rare.] The sapience of our forefathers and the defectivene of our dictionaries are simultaneously illustrated by the bead- roll of matæology [a list of different kinds of divination] embodied in the extract here following. mateotechnyt (mat"ē-ō-tek'ni), n. [ τέχνη , art.] Any unprofitable science. [Rare.] Such a peevish practice & unnece arie Matœotechnie. Touchstone of Complexions , Pref., p. 6. (Davies.) mater1t, n. A Middle English form of matter . mater2 (ma'ter), n.; pl. matres (-trez). [L., = Gr. μήτηρ = E. mother : see mother1 .] 1. Mother: in certain special uses. See alma Shak . , C. of E., iii. 2. 54. mater , and phrases below.-2. In an at ., one IMG:content-0324.png:[blocks in formation] of two membranes or meninges of the brain, outer and inner, separated by the arachnoid, and distinguished as dura mater , or dura , and pia mater , or pia : so called from some idea that they produce the brain. - Mater aceti, mother of vinegar; a fungus or mold-plant which appears on the surface of vinegar, forming there a thick leather-like coat. It belongs to the genus Mycoderma. - Mater familias, the mother of a family. IMG:content-0325.png:[ocr errors] material (ma-teri-al), a. and n. [F. mate- ledge, San Material idea. See idea a Material know riel = Sp. Pg. material = It. materiale , material is , of or belonging to matter, ma- teria , matter: see matter .] I. a. 1. Consisting of matter; of a physical nature; not spiritual: as, material elements; a material body. IMG:content-0326.png:[blocks in formation] Material circumstances will continue to rule political agglomerations. The Nation , XLII. 155. Hence-3. Corporeal; sensuous; sensual; gro : as, material delights. These temptations are cra e and material , and soon dis- cernible. Jer. Taylor , Works (ed. 1835), I. 104. 4. Pertaining to the matter or subject; of substantial import or consequence; e ential; nece ary; important. That were too long their infinite contents Here to record, ne much mater i all . He [the King of Spain] had done them some material good Offices. Howell, Letters, I. vi. 3. conceivable. How we all came to disregard so material a point is in- Goldsmith, Vicar, xvi. A circumstance may be said to be material when it bears a visible relation in point of causality to the consequences; immaterial, when it bears no such visible relation. Bentham , Introd. to Morals and Legislation, vii. 23. She repeated to my friend the singular story she had before told him, without any material variation from the detail she had formerly given. matele (mat'les), a. [ mate1 + -le .] Hav- ing no mate or companion. Daughter too divine as woman to be noted, Spouse of only death in matele maidenhood. Touch. Honesty coupled to beauty is to have honey a sauce to sugar. Jaq . A material fool! [Aside.] Shak., As you Like it, iii. 3. 32. Beware of being too material when there is any imped i- ment or obstruction in men's wills; for pre-occcupation of mind ever requireth preface of speech. Bacon , Dispatch (ed. 1887). What thinks material Horace of his learning? B. Jonson , Poetaster, v. 1. Natural and easy as well in her deportment as in her discourse, which was always mater i all , not trifling. Evelyn , Diary, March 10, 1685. 6. In philos . , consisting in or pertaining to mat- ter in the Aristo tel i an sense, and not to form; arising from matter of positive fact, and not from logical implication; referring to the object as it exists, and not to distinctions originating in the mind; relating to a word as an object, and IMG:content-0327.png:[blocks in formation] Emerson, The Poet. sequences. Bentham , Introd. to Morals and Legislation, vii. 23.