n.

1. the officer below the master on a commercial ship;
   first mate
2. a fellow member of a team;
   teammate
   
   • it was his first start against his former teammates
3. the partner of an animal (especially a sexual partner)
   
   • he loved the mare and all her mates
   • camels hate leaving their mates
4. a person's partner in marriage;
   spouse, partner, married person, better half
5. an exact duplicate;
   match
   
   • when a match is found an entry is made in the notebook
6. South American holly; leaves used in making a drink like tea;
   Paraguay tea, Ilex paraguariensis
7. informal term for a friend of the same sex
8. South American tea-like drink made from leaves of a South American holly called mate
9. a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king;
   checkmate

v.

1. make love;
   copulate, pair, couple
   
   • Birds mate in the Spring
2. bring two objects, ideas, or people together;
   match, couple, pair, twin
   
   • This fact is coupled to the other one
   • Matchmaker, can you match my daughter with a nice young man?
   • The student was paired with a partner for collaboration on the project
3. place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game;
   checkmate
   
   • Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves