Mate vs Bedfellow - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between mate and bedfellow

is that mate is a fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate while bedfellow is one with whom one shares a bed.

As a verb mate

is to match, fit together without space between.

mate

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl) ). More at (l), (l).

Noun

(en noun)

A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate.

(especially of a non-human animal) A breeding partner.

(colloquial, British, Australia, New Zealand) A friend, usually of the same sex.

I'm going to the pub with a few mates .

He's my best mate .

(colloquial, British, Australia, New Zealand) a colloquial "sir"; an informal and friendly term of address to a stranger, usually male

Excuse me, mate , have you got the time?

(nautical) In naval ranks, a non-commissioned officer or his subordinate (e.g. (w, Boatswain's Mate), (w, Gunner's Mate), Sailmaker's Mate, etc).

(nautical) A ship's officer, subordinate to the master on a commercial ship.

(nautical) A first mate.

A technical assistant in certain trades (e.g. gasfitter's mate'', ''plumber's mate ); sometimes an apprentice.

The other member of a matched pair of objects.

''I found one of the socks I wanted to wear, but I couldn't find its mate .

A suitable companion; a match; an equal.

* Milton

Ye knew me once no mate / For you; there sitting where you durst not soar.

Synonyms

(checksyns) * fellow * friend * buddy * sir * partner * See also

Derived terms

(Derived terms) * bedmate * bunkmate * cellmate * classmate * crewmate * flatmate * floormate * housemate * mateship * office mate * roommate * shipmate * teammate * tourmate * workmate

Verb

To match, fit together without space between.

The pieces of the puzzle mate perfectly.

To copulate.

To pair in order to raise offspring

To arrange in matched pairs.

To introduce (animals) together for the purpose of breeding.

To marry; to match (a person).

* Shakespeare

If she be mated with an equal husband.

To match oneself against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.

* Francis Bacon

There is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death.

* Shakespeare

I, / Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be.

To fit (objects) together without space between.

(aerospace) To move (a space shuttle orbiter) onto the back of an aircraft that can carry it.

Synonyms

(checksyns) * couple * match * pair

Antonyms

* (aerospace) demate

Derived terms

* mating

Etymology 2

From (etyl) verb maten, (etyl) mater, from (etyl) noun .

Noun

(en noun)

(chess) Short for checkmate.

Verb

To win a game of chess by putting the opponent in checkmate

To confuse; to confound.

(Shakespeare)

Etymology 3

See

Noun

(en noun)

The abovementioned plant; the leaves and shoots used for the tea

Anagrams

* * * * ----

bedfellow

English

Noun

(en noun)

One with whom one shares a bed.

* 1599 Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew , .

''Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet,

''Whither away, or where is thy abode?

''Happy the parents of so fair a child;

''Happier the man whom favourable stars

Allot thee for his lovely bed-fellow .

An associate, often an otherwise improbable one.

* 1873' ''They say that "misfortune makes men acquainted with strange '''bedfellows ". The old hereditary Whig Cabinet ministers must, no doubt, by this time have learned to feel themselves at home with strange neighbours at their elbows.'' — Anthony Trollope, ''Phineas Redux , Chapter 40.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=February 12 , author=Les Roopanarine , title=Birmingham 1 - 0 Stoke , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Statistics and truth can be uneasy bedfellows when it comes to football, but one fact could not be ignored: neither side has a player with more than seven goals to his name.}}

Synonyms

* (one with whom one shares a bed) bedmate

Derived terms

* strange bedfellows