Inmate vs Mate - What's the difference?
inmate | mate |
A person confined to an institution such as a prison (as a convict) or hospital (as a patient)
A person who occupies or dwells within a dwelling-house. The word came to be used to refer to temporary inhabitants such as guests in a hotel, students in an on-campus dormitory, patients in a hospital, or prisoners.
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.
(colloquial, British, Australia, New Zealand) a colloquial "sir"; an informal and friendly term of address to a stranger, usually male
(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.
A suitable companion; a match; an equal.
* Milton
To match, fit together without space between.
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
To match oneself against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.
* Francis Bacon
* Shakespeare
To fit (objects) together without space between.
(aerospace) To move (a space shuttle orbiter) onto the back of an aircraft that can carry it.
To win a game of chess by putting the opponent in checkmate
To confuse; to confound.
As nouns the difference between inmate and mate
is that inmate is a person confined to an institution such as a prison (as a convict) or hospital (as a patient while mate is a fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate.As a verb mate is
to match, fit together without space between.inmate
English
Noun
(en noun)Usage notes
Perhaps around 1970, television journalists began to use the word as a euphemism for "prisoner", and today perhaps many young people cannot remember that it ever had any other meaning.Anagrams
* *mate
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl), from (etyl) ). More at (l), (l).Noun
(en noun)- I'm going to the pub with a few mates .
- He's my best mate .
- Excuse me, mate , have you got the time?
- ''I found one of the socks I wanted to wear, but I couldn't find its mate .
- Ye knew me once no mate / For you; there sitting where you durst not soar.
Synonyms
(checksyns) * fellow * friend * buddy * sir * partner * See alsoDerived terms
(Derived terms) * bedmate * bunkmate * cellmate * classmate * crewmate * flatmate * floormate * housemate * mateship * office mate * roommate * shipmate * teammate * tourmate * workmateVerb
- The pieces of the puzzle mate perfectly.
- If she be mated with an equal husband.
- There is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death.
- I, / Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be.
Synonyms
(checksyns) * couple * match * pairAntonyms
* (aerospace) demateDerived terms
* matingEtymology 2
From (etyl) verb maten, (etyl) mater, from (etyl) noun .Verb
- (Shakespeare)