1
a(1)
: a piece of coarse, woven, plaited, or felted fabric used especially as a floor covering or a support
(2)
: a piece of material placed at a door for wiping soiled shoe soles
b
: a decorative piece of material used under a small item (such as a dish) especially for support or protection
c
: a large thick pad or cushion used as a surface for wrestling, tumbling, and gymnastics
2
: something made up of densely tangled or adhering filaments or strands especially of organic matter
an algal mat
a mat of unkempt hair
3
: a large slab usually of reinforced concrete used as the supporting base of a building
matted; matting
1
: to provide with a mat or matting
2
a
: to form into a tangled mass
dirt and filth matted her hair
b
: to pack down so as to form a dense mass
: to become matted
matted; matting
1
or less commonly matte
or matt
: to make (something, such as a metal, glass, or color) matte
2
: to provide (a picture) with a mat
less common spelling of matte entry 2
: lacking or deprived of luster (see luster entry 1 sense 1) or gloss: such as
a
: having a usually smooth even surface free from shine or highlights
matte metals
a matte finish
b
: having a rough or granular (see granular sense 1) surface
: a border going around a picture between picture and frame or serving as the frame
Examples of mat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Nov. 2024
Plus, the mat helps relieve joint pain and encourages better circulation.
Find it on AmazonFind it on Walmart
Jet Set in Elegance with the Cream Luggage Set
Nathan James’ Modern Storage Cabinet stands out with its herringbone pattern created using solid fir wood on the doors.
—Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Larry shed two pounds of weight during his makeover, which saw a grooming team shaving his overgrown hair that covered his eyes and was matted.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mat 
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Noun
While the mat itself is visible, each individual strand is too narrow to be clearly captured by any form of visible light camera or microscope.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Nov. 2024
Plus, the mat helps relieve joint pain and encourages better circulation.
Find it on AmazonFind it on Walmart
Jet Set in Elegance with the Cream Luggage Set
Nathan James’ Modern Storage Cabinet stands out with its herringbone pattern created using solid fir wood on the doors.
—Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
Impressively, the electric motor delivers 325 lb-ft by itself, meaning the two-row SUV feels quick in Electric drive mode, obviously quicker than when matting the accelerator in Hybrid or Sport mode.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Larry shed two pounds of weight during his makeover, which saw a grooming team shaving his overgrown hair that covered his eyes and was matted.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mat
Dictionary Entries Near mat
Cite this Entry
“Mat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mat. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mat
1 of 5 noun1
a
: a piece of coarse fabric of rush, straw, or wool
b
: a piece of material in front of a door to wipe dirty shoe soles on
c
: a decorative piece of material used under a dish or vase
d
: a pad or cushion for gymnastics or wrestling
2
: something made up of many tangled strands
a thick mat of vegetation
mat
2 of 5 verb
matted; matting
1
: to provide with a mat or matting
2
: to become or cause to become a tangled mass
mat
3 of 5 verb
matted; matting
1
also matte
or matt
: to give a dull effect to
2
: to border (a picture) with a mat
mat
4 of 5variant of matte entry 2
mat
5 of 5 noun1
: a border of stiff paper (as cardboard) going around a picture between picture and frame or serving as the frame
2
: a dull finish
Etymology
Noun
Old English meatte "mat," from Latin matta (same meaning); of Semitic origin
Medical Definition
mat
1 of 2 adjective
variants
or matt
or matte
1
: lacking or deprived of luster or gloss : having a usually smooth even surface free from shine or highlights
2
: having a coarse rough rugose or granular surface
bacteria that form mat colonies on agar
mat
2 of 2 noun
: a mat colony of bacteria
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