mate
gb/mˈeɪt/ us/mˈeɪt/
B1
英语
~ 6300
义项
0 个义项
名词
informal
B1
entity
1
close friend or companion
A friend, or a way to talk to someone in a friendly way, especially in British and Australian English.
用法模式：
[someone]'s mate; "[Vocative], mate"
常见错误：
Learners sometimes use "mate" in formal writing or with people they must be very polite to (like a boss or stranger in a formal setting). In those cases, "friend", "sir", or the person’s name is better. American English speakers also use "mate" much less than British or Australian speakers, so overusing it can sound unnatural in North America.
近义词
friend (Most common neutral word; lacks the strong British/Australian informal flavor of "mate".)
|
buddy (Informal and friendly, especially in North American English; similar tone but different regional feel.)
反义词
enemy (An enemy is someone you strongly dislike or are against, the opposite of a friendly mate.)
搭配
good mate
|best mate
|old mate
|work mate
|drinking mates
|my mates
主题
daily life
|social
|conversation
|relationships
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
例句
- I’m meeting a few mates at the pub after work.
- He’s an old mate from my school days in Manchester.
- Thanks for helping me move house, mate.
- Excuse me, mate, is this seat taken?
- My flatmates have become some of my closest mates.
学习者例句
- He is my best mate at school.
- I went to the cinema with my mates.
- Thanks, mate. That was very kind.
- She is an old mate from university.
- Excuse me, mate, can you tell me the time?
名词
B2
entity
2
husband, wife, or life partner
A husband, wife, or long-term boyfriend or girlfriend, or the partner an animal has babies with.
用法模式：
a mate for [life]; find a mate; choose a mate
常见错误：
Learners sometimes use this sense to talk about ordinary friends, which can sound like they are talking about a romantic or sexual partner. Use "friend" or "mate" in sense 1 for non-romantic relationships.
近义词
partner (Very common neutral word for a long-term romantic companion; does not emphasise reproduction as much as "mate" sometimes does.)
|
spouse (Formal word focusing on legal marriage, while "mate" can be broader and used for animals.)
反义词
single (Describes someone who does not have a romantic partner or spouse, the opposite of having a mate.)
搭配
find a mate
|choose a mate
|lifelong mate
|suitable mate
|mate selection
|mate for life
主题
family
|relationships
|biology
|animals
|core_vocabulary
例句
- In many cultures, parents used to help their children find a suitable mate.
- These birds stay with the same mate for life.
- He hopes to meet a mate who shares his values and interests.
- Female wolves are very selective when choosing a mate.
- Scientists studied how climate change affects mate choice in this species.
学习者例句
- Some people want to find a mate and get married.
- These animals stay with one mate for life.
- She is looking for a mate who is kind and honest.
- In this study, male fish tried to get a mate by showing bright colors.
- The bird sings loudly to call a mate.
动词
C1
action
3
to breed with another individual
For animals (and sometimes people), to have sex in order to produce babies.
用法模式：
[animal] mates with [another animal]; [animals] mate for life
常见错误：
Learners sometimes use "mate" as a verb for human romantic relationships in everyday conversation, which can sound too biological or focused on sex. For people, "go out with", "date", or "be in a relationship" are usually better in casual speech.
近义词
breed (Often used for animals producing young; can be slightly broader and less direct than "mate".)
|
copulate (Technical biological term for the physical act; more formal and clinical.)
反义词
sterilize (To make an animal or person unable to reproduce, preventing them from mating successfully.)
搭配
mate with
|mate successfully
|mate for life
|attempt to mate
|mating pair
|mate during [the season]
主题
biology
|science
|animals
|nature
例句
- The frogs return to the pond each spring to mate.
- These birds typically mate with only one partner each season.
- Zoo staff are trying to get the pandas to mate naturally.
- Only the dominant male is allowed to mate with the females in the group.
- When the water warms, the fish move upstream to mate.
学习者例句
- The lions mate in the rainy season.
- These birds mate for life.
- The male tries to mate with the female.
- Scientists watched the animals mate in the wild.
- In this species, only one pair will mate each year.
名词
B2
relation
4
matching counterpart in a pair
The other thing in a pair that is the same, for example the other shoe or sock.
用法模式：
the mate to [something]; find the mate of [something]
近义词
counterpart (More formal and general; can refer to people or things, not just physical pairs like shoes.)
|
matching pair (Refers to the relationship of two things together, rather than the single other item.)
反义词
odd one out (An item that does not have a matching partner, the opposite of having a mate.)
搭配
the mate to this shoe
|find its mate
|lost its mate
|matching mate
|sock and its mate
|earring mate
主题
daily life
|objects
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
例句
- I can’t find the mate to this sock anywhere.
- One of the earrings is missing its mate.
- These gloves look similar, but they’re not actually mates.
- The puzzle game asks children to match each card with its correct mate.
- He kept the single shoe, hoping its mate would turn up.
学习者例句
- I lost the mate to this sock.
- This shoe has no mate.
- Can you find the mate to this glove?
- These two earrings are not mates.
- Put each card with its mate.
动词
technical
C1
action
5
to fit or join matching parts
To put two parts together so their shapes fit exactly, often in machines or tools.
用法模式：
mate [part] with [part]; [parts] mate together
常见错误：
Learners may confuse this technical sense with the biological verb "mate". In engineering texts, it usually means parts fitting together, not animals reproducing.
近义词
connect (General word for joining; does not always suggest a precise physical fit.)
|
couple (Technical term often used for connecting mechanical or electrical components.)
反义词
disconnect (To separate parts that were joined, the opposite of mating them.)
搭配
mate two surfaces
|mate the connector
|mate the parts
|mate together
|properly mated
|tightly mated
主题
technology
|engineering
|work
例句
- The two plastic pieces should mate easily with a gentle push.
- Make sure the plug mates correctly with the socket before turning on the power.
- These gears are designed to mate without any gaps.
- The engineer checked that the metal surfaces mated perfectly along the seam.
- If the parts don’t mate tightly, the system could leak.
学习者例句
- The two parts mate when you push them together.
- This plug does not mate with that socket.
- The engineer made sure the pieces mated perfectly.
- These two surfaces do not mate well.
- The gears mate without a problem.
名词
technical
C1
entity
6
officer below captain on ship
An officer on a ship just under the captain, for example the first mate.
用法模式：
first mate; second mate; ship's mate
近义词
officer (General word for someone with authority on a ship; does not specify their exact rank like "mate" does.)
|
first officer (Very close in meaning to "first mate"; often used especially in aviation and some nautical contexts.)
搭配
first mate
|second mate
|ship's mate
|chief mate
|deck mate
|merchant navy mate
主题
work
|travel
|transport
|transportation
例句
- The captain asked the first mate to check the cargo.
- After years at sea, he was finally promoted to chief mate.
- The mate stood on the bridge, watching the harbor lights.
- As second mate, she was responsible for navigation during the night shift.
- The ship’s mate organized the crew before they set sail.
学习者例句
- The first mate helped the captain.
- Her dream is to become a mate on a big ship.
- The mate told the crew what to do.
- He worked as second mate for many years.
- The captain spoke quietly with the mate.
名词
technical
C2
state
7
checkmate position in chess
In chess, the final move that attacks the king and makes it impossible to move, so the game ends.
用法模式：
mate in [number]; deliver mate; forced mate
常见错误：
Outside of chess, most people say "checkmate", not "mate". Using "mate" alone for this meaning in general conversation can be confusing unless the chess context is very clear.
近义词
checkmate (Standard full form; "mate" is a shorter specialist form often used by chess players.)
搭配
deliver mate
|mate in two
|forced mate
|mate on move [x]
|announce mate
|escape mate
主题
games
|sports
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
例句
- If you play carefully, you can force mate in three moves.
- He missed a simple mate on the last move and only drew the game.
- The commentator pointed out a beautiful mate that the audience had not seen.
- White has a forced mate here, even though it looks equal.
- She sacrificed her queen to set up a stunning mate.
学习者例句
- In this position, black has mate in two moves.
- He did not see the mate and lost later.
- The players looked for a mate on the board.
- The game ended quickly with mate.
- She showed her friend a simple mate.
动词
technical
C2
action
8
to checkmate in chess
In chess, to make the move that gives checkmate and wins the game.
用法模式：
mate [opponent]; mate on [move]
近义词
checkmate (Used as a verb, especially in more formal or explanatory contexts; "mate" is shorter and mainly used among players.)
搭配
mate your opponent
|mate in two
|mate with [piece]
|mate on move [x]
|plan to mate
主题
games
|sports
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
例句
- If you play queen to h7, you mate him immediately.
- She mated her opponent with a rook on the back rank.
- I almost mated him in four moves, but he found the only defence.
- White can mate here by sacrificing the bishop first.
- He failed to mate when he had the chance and the game ended in a draw.
学习者例句
- He will mate his opponent on the next move.
- White can mate with the queen and rook.
- She tried to mate but did not see the right move.
- If you move your bishop here, you mate him.
- Black mated in only ten moves.
名词
B2
entity
9
South American caffeinated herbal drink
A hot drink from South America made from dried yerba mate leaves, often served in a round cup with a metal straw.
用法模式：
drink mate; share mate; a cup of mate
常见错误：
Learners sometimes confuse this with "mate" meaning friend. In English, if the context is not clear, people often say "yerba mate" or "mate tea" to show they are talking about the drink.
近义词
yerba mate (More specific full term naming the plant; often used internationally to avoid confusion with other senses of "mate".)
搭配
drink mate
|share mate
|cup of mate
|yerba mate
|traditional mate
|mate gourd
主题
food
|culture
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
例句
- We sat in the plaza, passing a gourd of mate around the circle.
- In Argentina, many people drink mate several times a day.
- She prefers mate to coffee because it makes her feel calmer.
- He bought a new metal straw for his mate.
- They explained the tradition of sharing mate with guests.
学习者例句
- People in Argentina often drink mate.
- We shared a cup of mate in the park.
- She likes mate more than coffee.
- He bought hot mate from a street shop.
- They showed me how to drink mate from a gourd.
语法
词典原形
mate
IPA
GB/mˈeɪt/
US/mˈeɪt/
音节与重音
mate （1 个音节）
Stress on 1st syllable (mate)
词形变化
Noun
- Base: mate
- Plural: mate, mates
Verb
- Base: mate
- 3rd Person Singular: mates
- Present Participle: mating
- Past: mated
词族
相关表达
best mate
1/bˈɛst mˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
closest friend
Your closest and most important friend.
例句
- He’s my best mate; I tell him everything.
- She went on holiday with her best mate from school.
- My best mate is moving to another country next year.
class mate
1/klˈæs mˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
person in your class
A person who is in the same class as you at school or university.
例句
- She’s a class mate from my English course.
- I met my best friend when we were class mates in primary school.
- He invited several class mates to his birthday party.
find a mate
1/fˈaɪnd ə mˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
get a romantic or breeding partner
To get a romantic or breeding partner, for people or animals.
例句
- Many young adults feel pressure to find a mate.
- In spring, the animals travel long distances to find a mate.
- The show follows single people trying to find a mate.
first mate
1/fˈɚst mˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
officer below the captain
The main officer on a ship who is just under the captain.
例句
- The first mate checked the charts before they left the harbor.
- As first mate, she was responsible for most of the daily operations on board.
- The captain and first mate discussed the change in weather.
G'day, mate
1/ɡɪdˈeɪ | mˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
Australian casual greeting
A very informal Australian way to say hello to someone.
例句
- “G'day, mate,” he said as he walked into the shop.
- You’ll often hear people say “G'day, mate” when you visit Australia.
- The bus driver smiled and greeted each passenger with a friendly “G'day, mate.”
mate for life
1/mˈeɪt fɚ lˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
have only one lifelong mate
To have only one romantic or breeding partner for your whole life.
例句
- Swans are known to mate for life.
- Some people believe that humans are not meant to mate for life.
- In this species, pairs usually mate for life and stay together year-round.
mate with
1/mˈeɪt wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
breed with another animal
For an animal to have sex with another animal in order to have babies.
例句
- The male will mate with as many females as he can.
- These fish usually mate with the same partner every year.
- In captivity, the pandas refused to mate with each other.
old mate
1/ˈoʊld mˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
long-time friend
A friend you have known for many years.
例句
- He’s an old mate from my army days.
- We had a drink with some old mates from university.
- She ran into an old mate she hadn’t seen for decades.
room mate
1/ɹˈum mˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
person sharing your room or home
Someone who lives in the same room or home as you, for example at university.
例句
- My room mate and I share the kitchen and bathroom.
- I’m looking for a new room mate to share the rent.
- She doesn’t get along very well with her room mate.
second mate
1/sˈɛkənd mˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
technical
officer below first mate
An officer on a ship who is under the first mate in rank.
例句
- He worked as second mate before being promoted.
- The second mate took over the watch at midnight.
- As second mate, his main job was navigation.
soul mate
1/sˈoʊl mˈeɪt/
idiom
perfect romantic partner
Someone who is believed to be a perfect match for you in love and personality.
例句
- Many people dream of finding their soul mate.
- After twenty years together, she still calls him her soul mate.
- He felt as if he had finally met his soul mate.
team mate
1/tˈim mˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
person on the same team
Someone who plays on the same sports team as you, or is on the same work or project team.
例句
- Her team mates congratulated her after she scored.
- He’s been a loyal team mate for many years.
- You should always support your team mates, on and off the field.