mat
gb/mˈæt/ us/mˈæt/
A2
English
~ 6300
lábtörlő, edzőszőnyeg, jógaszőnyeg, tornaszőnyeg, tányéralátét, alátét, edényalátét, gubanc, filces csomó, összegubancolódik, összegubancol, paszpartu, matt
NOUN
A2
1
lábtörlő
A2
Usage pattern:
a mat on [a floor/at a door]
Please wipe your shoes on the mat before you come in.
Kérlek, töröld meg a cipődet a lábtörlőn, mielőtt bejössz.
There was a wet mat just inside the door to catch the rainwater.
Közvetlenül az ajtón belül volt egy nedves lábtörlő, hogy felfogja az esővizet.
She bought a new welcome mat with a bright yellow sun on it.
The dog sleeps on a small mat in the kitchen.
Car mats help keep the floor of the car clean.
Learner examples
He put a mat in front of the door.
Az ajtó elé tett egy lábtörlőt.
My shoes are dirty, so I use the mat.
Piszkos a cipőm, ezért használom a lábtörlőt.
The bath mat on the floor is very soft.
We need a mat to keep the floor clean when it rains.
There is a small mat under the cat.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "mat" with "rug" or "carpet". A mat is usually smaller and used for wiping feet or protecting a small area, while a carpet often covers most of the floor and a rug is usually larger and more decorative.
Meaning
small floor covering or doormat
Collocations
doormat
|door mat
|bath mat
|floor mat
|rubber mat
|welcome mat
Synonyms
rug (Usually larger, thicker, and used for comfort or decoration, not mainly for wiping feet.)
Antonyms
bare floor (Refers to a floor with no covering or protection at all.)
Themes
home
|daily life
|cleaning
|housing
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A small flat piece you put on the floor, often by a door, to wipe your shoes or keep the floor clean and dry.
A small, flat piece of material placed on the floor or ground, usually near a door or in a specific area, to wipe feet or to protect the surface.
NOUN
A2
2
Usage pattern:
to use a mat for [exercise/sport]
She rolled out her yoga mat and started stretching.
Kigurította a jógaszőnyegét, és nyújtani kezdett.
The children practised cartwheels on the gym mats.
A gyerekek cigánykereket gyakoroltak a tornaszőnyegeken.
Make sure the wrestling mat is clean before the next match.
He forgot his exercise mat and had to lie directly on the floor.
Pilates classes usually ask you to bring your own mat.
Learner examples
I bring my own mat to my yoga class.
Saját jógaszőnyeget viszek a jógaórára.
The baby plays on a soft mat.
A baba egy puha játszószőnyegen játszik.
We put a big mat on the floor for gymnastics.
Please put your mat back after the class.
She lies on a mat and does sit-ups.
Common mistake:
Some learners call an exercise mat a "carpet". A carpet usually covers a whole room, while an exercise mat is a separate piece you can roll up and carry.
Meaning
padded mat for exercise or sport
Collocations
yoga mat
|exercise mat
|gym mat
|training mat
|wrestling mat
|crash mat
Synonyms
pad (A more general word for a soft protective surface; not all pads are used on the floor or for exercise.)
Antonyms
hard floor (Emphasizes the absence of any soft protective surface under the body.)
Themes
sports
|health
|daily life
|daily_life
Definition
A soft flat pad you put on the floor to exercise, do yoga, or play some sports on.
A padded, flat piece of material placed on the floor and used as a soft surface for exercise, yoga, gymnastics, or fighting sports.
NOUN
A2
3
Usage pattern:
a mat under [a plate/hot dish]
She set pretty straw mats under each plate.
Minden tányér alá csinos szalma tányéralátéteket tett.
Always put a mat under hot pans to protect the table.
Mindig tegyél alátétet a forró serpenyők alá, hogy megvédd az asztalt.
The restaurant uses woven place mats instead of a tablecloth.
He bought cork mats to stop the glasses marking the wood.
They chose bright red table mats for the party.
Learner examples
Please put a mat under your plate.
Kérlek, tegyél tányéralátétet a tányérod alá.
We use mats so the table does not get hot.
Alátéteket használunk, hogy ne melegedjen fel az asztal.
There is a mat under every dish.
These mats make the table look nice.
She bought new table mats for dinner.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "tablecloth" when they mean small mats under plates. A tablecloth covers the whole table, while mats or placemats are separate pieces under each plate or dish.
Meaning
table mat or placemat
Collocations
table mat
|place mat
|placemat
|heatproof mat
|dining mat
Synonyms
placemat (More specific for the individual mat in front of each person at the table.)
Antonyms
bare table (Describes a table surface without any protective or decorative covering.)
Themes
home
|food
|daily life
|food_drink
|housing
|daily_life
Definition
A small flat thing you put on a table under a plate, cup, or hot pot to keep the table safe and make it look nice.
A flat piece of material placed on a table under plates, cups, or hot dishes to protect the surface and often to decorate the table.
NOUN
B2
4
gubanc
B1
filces csomó
C1
Usage pattern:
a mat of [hair/fur/grass/etc.]
The dog's fur was full of painful mats.
A kutya bundája tele volt fájdalmas gubancokkal.
Her hair had formed a solid mat at the back of her neck.
A tarkóján a haja egy tömör gubanccá állt össze.
A dense mat of roots covered the surface of the soil.
He gently cut away the mats in the cat's coat.
Leaves and rubbish had collected in a dark mat at the edge of the pond.
Learner examples
The long hair on the dog became one big mat.
A kutya hosszú szőre egy nagy gubanccá állt össze.
She had a mat of hair because she did not brush it.
Azért lett gubanc a hajában, mert nem fésülte.
There were mats in the cat's fur.
A thick mat of grass covered the ground.
He removed the mats from the animal's coat.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this noun "mat" with the everyday floor mat. In this sense, it is not something you buy; it is a natural or unwanted knot of hair, fur, or plants.
Meaning
tangled mass of hair or fur
Collocations
a mat of hair
|mats in her hair
|mats in his fur
|thick mat of
|a mat of weeds
Synonyms
tangle (A general word for something twisted together; a mat is usually thicker and more solid than a simple tangle.)
Antonyms
smooth hair (Describes hair that is combed and free of knots or tangles.)
Themes
animals
|appearance
|nature
|body
|daily_life
Definition
A thick, messy ball that hair, fur, or similar things make when they get very tangled.
A thick, tangled mass formed when hair, fur, or similar fibers become knotted together.
VERB
B2
5
Usage pattern:
[hair/fur] mats; to mat [hair/fur] together
His hair had matted into clumps after days without washing.
Napokig nem mosott hajat, és a haja csomókba gubancolódott.
The dog's fur was badly matted around its ears.
A kutya szőre a füle körül erősen összegubancolódott.
Sweat and dust matted her curls to her forehead.
If you do not brush long fur, it will quickly mat.
The wool had matted together after being left in the rain.
Learner examples
The cat's fur matted because no one brushed it.
A macska szőre összegubancolódott, mert senki sem fésülte.
Rain and dirt matted his hair.
Az eső és a kosz összegubancolta a haját.
Her long hair will mat if she sleeps with it wet.
The dog’s coat matted around its legs.
They cut away the hair that had matted together.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "tangle" for hair and do not recognize "mat" as a verb. "Tangle" can be smaller or easier to fix; "mat" often suggests a worse, thicker problem.
Meaning
to tangle into a dense mass
Collocations
hair matted with
|fur matted with
|matted together
|blood matted his hair
|matted into a ball
Synonyms
tangle (A more general word; "mat" suggests the hair or fur has become thick and hard to separate.)
Antonyms
untangle (Means to separate something that is knotted or matted so it becomes smooth again.)
Themes
animals
|appearance
|body
|daily_life
Definition
To make hair, fur, or similar things become very tangled into a thick lump, or to become like that.
To cause hair, fur, or similar fibers to become a thick, tangled mass, or to become such a mass.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
6
paszpartu
C1
Usage pattern:
a mat around [a picture/photo]
The photographer chose a white mat to make the image stand out.
A fotós fehér paszpartut választott, hogy a kép jobban érvényesüljön.
A black mat inside the frame gave the painting a modern look.
A kereten belüli fekete paszpartu modern megjelenést adott a festménynek.
Use an acid-free mat to protect valuable photographs.
She replaced the old yellowed mat with a fresh one.
The print came already mounted on a thick cream mat.
Learner examples
The picture has a white mat inside the frame.
A képnek fehér paszpartuja van a kereten belül.
He bought a new mat for the photo.
Új paszpartut vett a fotóhoz.
A black mat makes the photo look strong.
This mat helps protect the picture.
The frame and the mat are both simple and modern.
Common mistake:
Learners may not know this special art meaning and may think only of floor mats. In photography and framing, a "mat" is the stiff border inside the frame, not something you put on the floor.
Meaning
border around a picture in a frame
Collocations
photo mat
|framing mat
|cardboard mat
|acid-free mat
|double mat
Synonyms
mount (More common in British English for the same object in picture framing.)
Antonyms
no border (Indicates that the picture is framed without any surrounding mat at all.)
Themes
art
|photography
|home
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Definition
A firm card border with a hole in it that goes around a picture inside a frame.
A stiff piece of card or similar material with an opening, placed around a picture or photograph inside a frame to provide a border and support.
C1
TECHNICAL
7
matt
B1
Usage pattern:
a mat [finish/paint/surface]
We chose a mat finish for the walls to hide small marks.
Matt felületű festéket választottunk a falakra, hogy elrejtsük az apró hibákat.
The photographer prefers printing on mat paper.
A fotós szívesebben nyomtat matt papírra.
A mat surface reduces reflections under bright lights.
The designer recommended mat paint for the ceiling.
These photos are available in glossy or mat finishes.
Learner examples
The photo has a mat finish, not a shiny one.
A fénykép matt felületű, nem fényes.
I want mat paint for my bedroom walls.
Matt festéket szeretnék a hálószobám falaira.
This mat surface does not reflect the light.
Her lipstick has a mat look.
We picked a mat colour for the door.
Common mistake:
Learners often see the spelling "matte" or "matt" and may not recognize "mat" as the same adjective. Also, they may confuse "mat" (dull) with "mate" (friend) because the pronunciation is similar in some accents.
Meaning
dull, non-glossy surface finish
Collocations
mat finish
|mat paint
|mat surface
|mat paper
Synonyms
matte (The more common modern spelling for this meaning, especially in product descriptions.)
Antonyms
glossy (Describes a shiny surface that reflects light strongly.)
Themes
art
|technology
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Describes paint, paper, or a photo that does not shine or reflect light.
Describing a surface, especially of paint, paper, or a photograph, that is dull and not shiny.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mat
IPA
GB/mˈæt/
US/mˈæt/
Syllables & stress
mat (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (mat)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: mat
Noun
- Base: mat
- Plural: mats
Verb
- Base: mat
- 3rd Person Singular: mats
- Present Participle: matting
- Past: matted
Word family
Forms
mats
noun
matting
verb
matted
verb
Core family
doormat
noun
Related words
placemat
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: matting Verb
- Irregular past: matted Verb
Expressions
hit the mat
1/hˈɪt ðə mˈæt/
idiom
fall or be knocked down in a fight
To fall down or be knocked down onto the floor or the mat during a sport like wrestling or boxing.
Examples
- The boxer hit the mat twice in the first round.
- One wrong move in judo and you’ll hit the mat hard.
- He slipped during practice and hit the mat awkwardly.
on the mat
1/ˈɔn ðə mˈæt/
idiom
being formally told off or questioned
Being called to speak to a boss or other important person because you did something wrong and must explain yourself.
Examples
- He was on the mat in the manager’s office after arriving late three times.
- The coach had the whole team on the mat after their poor performance.
- She expected to be on the mat for missing the deadline.
roll out the welcome mat
1/ɹˈoʊl ˈaʊt ðə wˈɛlkəm mˈæt/
idiom
give someone a very warm welcome
To welcome someone in a very friendly way and do special things to make them feel good.
Examples
- The small town rolled out the welcome mat for the visiting team.
- Whenever relatives come to stay, she rolls out the welcome mat with a big meal and flowers.
- The company is rolling out the welcome mat for new customers with special discounts.
welcome mat
1/wˈɛlkəm mˈæt/
fixed phrase
doormat with a greeting
A mat at the door of a home that usually has the word "Welcome" or another friendly message on it.
Examples
- Their welcome mat says "Hello" in five languages.
- She replaced the old welcome mat with a brighter one.
- The muddy boots ruined the new welcome mat.
yoga mat
1/jˈoʊɡə mˈæt/
fixed phrase
Mat used for yoga
A soft mat you put on the floor when doing yoga.
Examples
- He rolled out his yoga mat for class.
- Don’t forget to bring your yoga mat to class.
- I keep my yoga mat in the car so I can go to the studio anytime.
- She keeps a rolled-up yoga mat under her desk for quick stretches at work.
- He bought a thicker yoga mat to protect his knees.