- Match
- Match Match, n. [OE. macche, AS. gem[ae]cca; akin to gemaca,
and to OS. gimako, OHG. gimah fitting, suitable, convenient,
Icel. mark suitable, maki mate, Sw. make, Dan. mage; all from
the root of E. make, v. See {Make} mate, and {Make}, v., and
cf. {Mate} an associate.]
[1913 Webster]
1. A person or thing equal or similar to another; one able to
mate or cope with another; an equal; a mate.
[1913 Webster]
Government . . . makes an innocent man, though of the lowest rank, a match for the mightiest of his fellow subjects. --Addison. [1913 Webster]
2. A bringing together of two parties suited to one another, as for a union, a trial of skill or force, a contest, or the like; specifically: (a) A contest to try strength or skill, or to determine superiority; a sporting contest; an emulous struggle. ``Many a warlike match.'' --Drayton. [1913 Webster]
A solemn match was made; he lost the prize. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] (b) A matrimonial union; a marriage. [1913 Webster]
3. An agreement, compact, etc. ``Thy hand upon that match.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Love doth seldom suffer itself to be confined by other matches than those of its own making. --Boyle. [1913 Webster]
4. A candidate for matrimony; one to be gained in marriage. ``She . . . was looked upon as the richest match of the West.'' --Clarendon. [1913 Webster]
5. Equality of conditions in contest or competition, or one who provides equal competition to another in a contest; as, he had no match as a swordsman within the city. [1913 Webster]
It were no match, your nail against his horn. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
6. Suitable combination or bringing together; that which corresponds or harmonizes with something else; as, the carpet and curtains are a match. [1913 Webster]
7. (Founding) A perforated board, block of plaster, hardened sand, etc., in which a pattern is partly imbedded when a mold is made, for giving shape to the surfaces of separation between the parts of the mold. [1913 Webster]
{Match boarding} (Carp.), boards fitted together with tongue and groove, or prepared to be so fitted; a surface composed of match boarding. See {matchboard}.
{Match game}, a game arranged as a test of superiority.
{Match plane} (Carp.), either of the two planes used to shape the edges of boards which are joined by grooving and tonguing.
{Match plate} (Founding), a board or plate on the opposite sides of which the halves of a pattern are fastened, to facilitate molding. --Knight.
{Match wheel} (Mach.), a cogwheel of suitable pitch to work with another wheel; specifically, one of a pair of cogwheels of equal size. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
