Word: Mat

Pronunciation

/mæt/

Definitions

• Noun: A piece of material, usually flat and rectangular, placed on a floor or other surface to provide a soft or clean area for standing, sitting, or exercising upon. For example: “She placed a welcome mat outside her front door.”
• Verb: (matting) The action of covering something with a mat or mats. For example: “The artist carefully matting his drawings before framing them.”
• Noun: (in certain games) A designated area where players start or end their turns, such as in wrestling or gymnastics. For example: “The wrestler stepped onto the mat to begin his match.”
• Noun: (biology) A dense mass of intertwined fibers, hair, or vegetation found in nature or forming part of an animal’s coat. For example: “The cat was shedding clumps of fur from its mat.”
• Noun: (archaic) A female given name.

Phrases

• “On the mat”: This can refer to a situation being under consideration or discussion, or physically being on a mat for activities like yoga or martial arts.
• “To lay down the law/matter on the mat”: To decisively settle an issue.
• “Door mat”: A small rug placed outside or inside a doorway for people to wipe their feet on before entering a building.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “She unrolled her yoga mat and began her morning practice.”
• Verb: “They decided to mat the photographs themselves to ensure they were perfectly aligned in the frames.”
• Noun (game): “The gymnast landed her dismount perfectly on the mat.”
• Noun (biology): “Regular grooming helped prevent the dog’s fur from becoming matted.”

Synonyms

• Carpet
• Rug
• Doormat
• Tatami (for Japanese mats)
• Exercise mat
• Wrestling mat
• Yoga mat
• Hair mat (in the context of tangled animal fur)
• Matting (for the act of covering something with mats)