MATE, n.
1. A companion an associate one who customarily associates with another. Young persons nearly of an age, and frequently associating, are called mates or playmates.
2. A husband or wife.
3. The male or female of animals which associate for propagation and the care of their young.
4. One that eats at the same table.
5. One that attends the same school a school-mate.
6. An officer in a merchant ship or ship of war, whose duty is to assist the master or commander. In a merchant ship, the mate,in the absence of the master, takes command of the ship. Large ships have a first, second, and third mate.
In general, mate, in compound words, denotes an assistant, and ranks next in subordination to the principal as master's mate surgeon's mate, &c.
MATE, n. In chess, the state of the king so situated that he cannot escape.
MATE, To match to marry.
1. To equal to be equal to.
For thus the mastful chestnut mates the skies.
2. To oppose to equal.
--I 1th' way of loyalty and truth,
Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be.
MATE, To enervate to subdue to crush.
Audacity doth almost bind and mate the weaker sort of minds. Not used.
The King James Bible has stood its ground for nearly 400 years. However, during that time the English language has changed, and with it the meanings of some words it used. Here are more than 6,500 words whose definitions have changed since 1611.Wikipedia
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