amate
1 of 3transitive verb (1)
-ed/-ing/-s
archaic
: to cast down : dishearten, subdue
amate
2 of 3transitive verb (2)
-ed/-ing/-s
obsolete
: to be a mate to : match
amate
3 of 3noun
ama·te
äˈmätē
plural -s
: a Central American timber tree (Ficus glabrata) with lustrous foliage and edible fruits
Word History
Etymology
Transitive verb (1)
Middle English amaten, from Middle French amatir, from Old French, from a- (from Latin ad-) + matir to overcome, from mat defeated, overcome
Transitive verb (2)
a- (perfective prefix) + mate (to couple, match)
Noun
Spanish, from Nahuatl amatl, short for amacuahuitl, literally, paper tree, from amatl paper + cuahuitl tree
First Known Use
Transitive Verb (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Transitive Verb (2)
1578, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1862, in the meaning defined above