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Mate vs Mite - What's the difference?

mate | mite |

As nouns the difference between mate and mite

is that mate is a fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate while mite is a minute arachnid, of the order Acarina, of which there are many species; as, the cheese mite, sugar mite, harvest mite, etc. See Acarina.

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

    * * * * ----

    mite

    English

    (wikipedia mite)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A minute arachnid, of the order Acarina, of which there are many species; as, the cheese mite, sugar mite, harvest mite, etc. See Acarina.
  • A small coin formerly circulated in England, rated at about a third of a farthing.
  • *1803 , William Blake,
  • *:One mite wrung from the lab'rer's hands
  • *:Shall buy and sell the miser's lands;
  • A lepton, a small coin used in Palestine in the time of Christ.
  • A small weight; one twentieth of a grain.
  • Anything very small; a minute object; a very little quantity or particle. Sometimes used adverbially.
  • * , chapter=5
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=“Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going.}}
  • * 1959 , Frances Cavanah, Abe Lincoln Gets His Chance , Project Gutenberg, [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17315/17315-8.txt]:
    • "Those trousers are a mite too big, but you'll soon grow into them."

    Synonyms

    * (small amount) see also .

    Derived terms

    * widow's mite

    Anagrams

    * * * ----