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Added 7 October 2026

mat

/mæt/ noun

In Latin: teges, storea Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about mat at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A thick flat pad used as a floor covering.
Mounting consisting of a border or background for a picture.
Sports equipment consisting of a piece of thick padding on the floor for gymnastic sports.

verb

Twist together or entwine into a confusing mass.
The child entangled the cord
Change texture so as to become matted and felt-like.
The fabric felted up after several washes

adjective

Not reflecting light; not glossy.
flat wall paint

Origin

Inherited from Middle English matte (“mat”), from Old English meatte (“mat”), from Late Latin matta (“mat made of rushes”), from Punic or Phoenician (compare Hebrew מיטה \ מִטָּה (mitá, “bed, couch”)). Cognate with German Matte (“mat”), Danish måtte (“mat”), Faroese and Icelandic motta (“rug, mat”), Norwegian matte (“mat, rug”), Swedish matta (“carpet, rug, mat”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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