Etymology: Probably < Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French mat move by which the king is checkmated (12th cent. in Old French as noun; 13th cent. as interjection) < eschec (et) mat (see checkmate n.). Compare post-classical Latin mattum, mat (from 12th cent. as interjection in British sources), matha (14th cent. as noun in a British source), Italian matto (13th cent. as noun), Spanish mate (end of 13th cent. as noun), Portuguese mate (1561 as noun).

Etymology: < Middle Low German māt comrade (German regional (Low German) Maat ), by aphesis < a Middle Low German cognate of Old High German gimazzo messmate (Middle High German gemazze ) < the Germanic base of y- prefix + the Germanic base of meat n. Compare early modern Dutch maat (1546), maet (1573) friend, partner (Dutch maat ), and also Middle Dutch maet- (in maetscap company, partnership), probably also a borrowing < Middle Low German (compare Middle Low German mātschop ). Compare mette n.The form maat (see quot. 1582 at sense 1c) is probably influenced by Dutch (Stanyhurst emigrated to the Low Countries in 1579, and his translation of the Æneid was first published at Leyden).

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Old French mat beaten, exhausted, downcast (11th cent.; French mat matt adj.), cognate with Old Occitan mat compacted, stupefied (13th cent.), Italian matto dull, demented (13th cent.; compare matachin n.¹ and mattoid n. and adj.), and post-classical Latin mattus sad (from 7th cent. in glossaries; also in form matus ), wet, sodden, softened, worn down (a636 in Isidore), further etymology uncertain: perhaps connected with classical Latin matus drunk (one isolated attestation in Petronius) and ultimately < the base of madēre to be sodden (see madid adj.). Compare Middle Dutch mat tired, heavy (Dutch mat, also in sense ‘dull’ (1621)), Middle Low German mat, matt dull, tired, exhausted ( > Swedish matt, Danish mat), Middle High German mat weak, dull (German matt), Spanish mate dull (1680), Portuguese mate dull (19th cent.), all ultimately borrowings < French.Compare mate adj.², from which this word has been supposed to be derived, and with which it has frequently been confused (as also in other languages where both words occur); compare note s.v. mate v.¹

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French mat checkmated (12th cent.), probably < use as adjective of mat mate int. (although this is only attested slightly later). Compare Middle Dutch mat (Dutch mat), Middle Low German mat, Middle High German mat (German matt), Icelandic mát, Old Swedish mat (Swedish matt), Danish mat, all ultimately borrowings < French (the Scandinavian forms perhaps via Middle Low German).On confusion with mate adj.¹ see note at that entry.

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Old French mater to vanquish, subdue (12th cent.; compare Old French matir (c1100)) < mat mate adj.¹ Compare Portuguese matar to kill (11th cent.), Spanish matar (1131 in sense ‘to strike down, injure’, 1140 in sense ‘to kill’), Catalan matar to kill (c1276), Old Occitan matar (1187 in sense ‘to subdue, lay low’, c1350 in sense ‘to kill’), all probably < post-classical Latin matare to kill (from 8th cent. in Spanish sources), probably in turn < mattus , matus sad (see mate adj.¹): the development of sense appears to have been from ‘to subdue, lay low’, to ‘to strike down’, to ‘to kill’.Senses overlap with figurative senses of the etymologically distinct mate v.², with which the word has frequently been confused (as also in other languages where both words occur); compare note s.v. mate adj.¹

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Old French mater checkmate (12th cent.) < mat mate adj.² Compare post-classical Latin matare (13th cent. in a British source), Old Occitan matar (1183).Figurative senses overlap with senses of the etymologically distinct mate v.¹: see note at that entry.

Etymology: < mate n.²