📖 M — The English dictionary · page 15

masterpiece — Everyday, meaning 1: A work of art, book, music or other creation of great skill; one of the best of its kind.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The best work a particular person has ever made.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Anything done extremely well, like a goal or a cake.↗ Example: The Mona Lisa is a famous masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci.↗ · My little brother's drawing is his masterpiece.↗ · That goal was a masterpiece!↗ · The museum is full of masterpieces.↗ · The cake Grandma baked was a masterpiece.↗ · Many people think «Charlotte's Web» is a masterpiece.↗ · In the Middle Ages, an apprentice had to make a masterpiece to become a master.↗ · He looked at the workmanship; there was not one false stitch in the whole job; all was so neat and true, that it was quite a masterpiece.↗

mastery — Everyday, meaning 1: Mastery is complete control or power over something.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Mastery is great skill at doing something.↗ Example: Two game cocks were fiercely fighting for the mastery of the farmyard.↗ · The winner ruled with undisputed mastery.↗ · Man gains mastery over nature by thinking.↗ · And he said: 'It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome, but the noise of them that sing do I hear.'↗ (Torah EXO.32.18, JPS 1917)↗

masticate — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal, science) To masticate is to chew food so it is broken into small pieces before swallowing.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (technical) To masticate rubber is to soften it by crushing and kneading it.↗ Example: Digestion starts when you masticate your food.↗ · The cow lay in the field slowly masticating grass.↗ · Molars help you masticate tough food.↗ · «Masticate thoroughly,» the doctor said, meaning «chew well».↗ · Cows masticate their food twice by chewing the cud.↗ · Mastication mixes food with saliva.↗

mastication — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal, science) Chewing: crushing food with the teeth so it can be swallowed and digested.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The process of chewing as the first stage of digestion.↗ Example: Digestion starts with mastication in the mouth.↗ · Mastication breaks food into small pieces.↗ · Molars are the teeth used most for mastication.↗ · Saliva mixes with the food during mastication.↗ · Cows spend hours on mastication of grass.↗ · Good mastication helps the stomach do its job.↗ · The jaw muscles control mastication.↗

mastiff — Everyday, meaning 1: A very large, strong dog with a short coat, a big head and loose skin round the face, kept as a guard dog.↗ Example: The mastiff guarded the farm gate.↗ · A mastiff can weigh more than a grown man.↗ · The mastiff barked in a deep voice.↗ · Despite its size, our neighbour's mastiff is very gentle.↗ · The castle was guarded by two mastiffs.↗ · The mastiff drooled on my shoe.↗ · And there lies my faithful mastiff at the threshold.↗

mat — Everyday, meaning 1: A mat is a small piece of material put on the floor, like a doormat or bath mat.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A mat is a thick soft piece of material for exercise or gym, like a yoga mat or PE mat.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A mat is a small flat piece put under a plate, glass or hot dish to protect a table, like a placemat.↗ Example: Wipe your feet on the mat.↗ · The cat sat on the mat.↗ · Put the hot pan on a mat, not on the table.↗ · Lie down on your mat for stretching.↗ · The bath mat stops you slipping.↗ · Roll up your yoga mat after class.↗ · We landed safely on the gym mats.↗ · The old woman lifted the mat, undid the blanket, and found the girls both dead.↗ · The Twenty-seventh Path is the Exciting Intelli- gence, and it is so called because through it is consum- mated and perfected the nature of every existent being under the orb of the Sun, in perfection.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

matabele — Everyday, meaning 1: The Matabele (Ndebele) are a people of south-western Zimbabwe, around the city of Bulawayo.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Matabeleland is the region where they live.↗ Example: The Matabele kingdom was founded by Mzilikazi.↗ · Bulawayo is the main city of Matabeleland.↗ · The Matabele are also called the Ndebele.↗ · British settlers fought wars against the Matabele in the 1890s.↗ · Matabeleland has wide, dry grasslands.↗

matador — Everyday, meaning 1: A matador is the main bullfighter in a Spanish-style bullfight, the person who tries to kill the bull with a sword.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The word comes from Spanish and means "killer".↗ Example: The matador waved his red cape at the bull.↗ · Many people protest against bullfights because the bull is hurt and killed.↗ · The matador wore a glittering costume.↗ · Dodging the tacklers like a matador, he scored a try.↗ · Bullfighting is banned in some parts of Spain.↗ · The crowd cheered the matador.↗

match — Everyday, meaning 1: A match is a game between two players or teams: a football match.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A match is a small stick that makes a flame when you strike it.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To match is to go well together or be the same: the socks match.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To match things is to find pairs that belong together.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: To be a match for someone is to be as good as them.↗ Example: The team played 10 matches and won 6.↗ · How many did they lose?↗ · A square uses 4 matches.↗ · Match each number to its sum.↗ · We watched the rugby match on Saturday.↗ · Never play with matches.↗ · Her hat matches her scarf.↗ · Match the words to the pictures.↗ · Dad struck a match to light the candles.↗ · The new player was no match for the champion.↗ · But he had met his match.↗

matchbox — Everyday, meaning 1: A small box that holds matches, with a rough side for striking them.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Something very small, like a «matchbox car» (a tiny toy car) or a very small room or house.↗ Example: Grandad keeps a matchbox by the fireplace.↗ · We made a tiny bed for the doll from a matchbox.↗ · My brother collects matchbox cars.↗ · The flat was the size of a matchbox.↗ · If you find a matchbox, give it to a grown-up.↗ · The matchbox is 5 cm long, 3 cm wide and 1 cm high, so its volume is 15 cubic centimetres.↗ · Some people collect old matchbox labels.↗ · As soon as he entered the cottage, which stood like a matchbox in the heart of the pine-woods, he went to greet his mother, saying:↗

matched — Everyday, meaning 1: Matched means put together with something that goes with it: she matched each sock with its pair.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Matched means made the same as something, or equal to it: his dad matched what he saved.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Well-matched means about as good as each other: two well-matched teams.↗ Example: She matched each sock with its pair.↗ · His dad matched the 20 dollars he saved.↗ · 8 pairs were matched.↗ · How many socks were matched?↗ · The two teams were well matched.↗ · She matched the words to the pictures.↗ · Her shoes matched her dress.↗ · The school matched every dollar the class raised.↗ · He matched his best time in the race.↗ · They were very evenly matched, and the battle was a hard one.↗

matchless — Everyday, meaning 1: So good that nothing or nobody is equal to it; without equal; the best.↗ Example: The view from the mountain top was matchless.↗ · Toad sang about his own matchless cleverness.↗ · She played with matchless skill.↗ · The castle had a matchless collection of paintings.↗ · Their matchless courage saved the village.↗ · The chef cooks matchless pies.↗

matchstick — Everyday, meaning 1: A matchstick is the thin wooden stick of a match, used to light fires.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Used to describe something very thin: «matchstick arms», «matchstick men».↗ Example: The model ship was made of matchsticks.↗ · Move one matchstick to make the sum correct.↗ · Each square in the pattern needs four matchsticks.↗ · Keep matches away from small children.↗ · He drew a matchstick man.↗ · The burnt matchstick was put in water.↗

mate — Everyday, meaning 1: (UK, Australia, NZ, Ireland, informal) A friend: «He's my mate».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A person you share something with, as in «classmate», «teammate», «flatmate».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: The partner of an animal, with which it has babies.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (verb) Of animals: to come together to make babies.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: An officer on a ship («first mate»).↗ Everyday, meaning 6: In chess, short for «checkmate».↗ Example: I'm going to the park with my mates.↗ · Thanks, mate!↗ · Jamie is my best mate.↗ · My teammates cheered when I scored.↗ · Birds sing to attract a mate.↗ · Penguins often stay with the same mate for years.↗ · The captain gave orders to the first mate.↗ · White moved the queen and said «mate».↗ · I met my mates in the morning, a broken, scattered band.↗ · Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, each with his mate; and of the beasts that are not clean two and two, each with his mate; (Torah GEN.7.2, JPS 1917)↗ · There shall the arrowsnake make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and brood under her shadow; yea, there shall the kites be gathered, every one with her mate.↗ (Prophets ISA.34.15, JPS 1917)↗ · Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read; no one of these shall be missing, none shall want her mate; for My mouth it hath commanded, and the breath thereof it hath gathered them.↗ (Prophets ISA.34.16, JPS 1917)↗

material — Everyday, meaning 1: A material is what something is made of, such as wood, metal, plastic, glass or cloth.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Material is cloth or fabric used to make clothes and curtains.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Materials are the things you need to do a job, like art materials or building materials.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Material is information or ideas used to make a book, lesson or show.↗ Example: The table is made of a hard material called oak.↗ · Which material is best for a raincoat?↗ · Glass is a transparent material.↗ · Mum bought blue material to make curtains.↗ · Bring your art materials on Friday.↗ · Recycling saves raw materials.↗ · Plastic is a man-made material.↗ · Fitzgerald are known to have much story material in their possession.↗ · Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · We encourage the use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · Body ; the word is GUP, usually applied to the animal material body, but here means '' one whole."↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

materially — Everyday, meaning 1: Materially means in a way that makes a real, noticeable difference.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Materially means in matters of things you can own, such as money and goods.↗ Example: The two stories materially differ from each other.↗ · He was materially helped by the gift.↗ · Their life was materially better after the harvest.↗

maternal — Everyday, meaning 1: To do with a mother or being a mother; motherly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (family) Related through your mother («maternal grandmother» = your mum's mother).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (health) To do with women having babies («maternal health»).↗ Example: My maternal grandmother is my mum's mum.↗ · Hens show strong maternal care.↗ · She felt maternal towards the little kitten.↗ · Elephants have strong maternal bonds.↗ · The maternity ward is where babies are born.↗ · My maternal uncle lives in Ireland.↗

maternity — Everyday, meaning 1: Maternity is the state of being a mother.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: As an adjective it means to do with having a baby: maternity clothes, a maternity ward.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (work) Maternity leave is time off work that a mother gets before and after her baby is born, often with maternity pay.↗ Example: Our teacher is going on maternity leave next month.↗ · My little brother was born in the maternity ward.↗ · Mum wore maternity clothes before the baby came.↗ · Some mothers get maternity pay while they look after their babies.↗ · The maternity unit is on the second floor.↗ · When the baby is born, the dad may take paternity leave.↗ · She returned to work after a year of maternity leave.↗

math — Everyday, meaning 1: Math is the school subject about numbers, shapes, measuring, patterns and data.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Math also means working with numbers: do the math, my math is wrong.↗ Example: She has 20 math problems for homework.↗ · He got 9 right on the math test.↗ · Math class lasts 45 minutes.↗ · How many problems are left?↗ · Math is my favourite subject.↗ · We use math to measure the garden.↗ · Do the math: four friends and twelve sweets means three each.↗ · Our maths teacher is from New Zealand.↗ · She checked her math with a calculator.↗

mathematical — Everyday, meaning 1: To do with mathematics.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Done carefully, exactly and logically, like a calculation.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (mathematical certainty / chance) Exact, as sure or as small as numbers can show.↗ Example: We use mathematical symbols like + and =.↗ · Our homework is a mathematical puzzle.↗ · She has a very mathematical mind.↗ · The tiles were laid with mathematical precision.↗ · Ada Lovelace was a great mathematical thinker.↗ · Explain your answer using mathematical words like «sum» and «difference».↗ · It is a mathematical certainty that 2 + 2 = 4.↗ · “How do you know?” said the Mathematical Master, “you have never seen one.”↗ · Together these represent the mathematical-linguistic foundations of Creation; see notes on 1:2 below.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗ · 22) The number of combinations of twenty-two letters two and two without any permutation is according to the mathematical formula (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · ") In the Americnn Mathematical Moitlhhi, 1909, p 177, G. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗