Noun

Substance, material.

# (physics) The basic structural component of the universe. Matter usually has mass and volume.

# (physics) Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles. (Non-antimatter matter).

# A kind of substance.

# Written material (especially in books or magazines).

# (philosophy) Aristotelian: undeveloped potentiality subject to change and development; formlessness. Matter receives form, and becomes substance.

A condition, subject or affair, especially one of concern.

* (Francis Bacon) (1561-1626)

if the matter should be tried by duel

* (John Milton) (1608-1674)

Son of God, Saviour of men! Thy name / Shall be the copious matter of my song.

* Bible, (w) xviii. 22

Every great matter' they shall bring unto thee, but every small ' matter they shall judge.

*

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;

* 12 July 2012 , Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift

The matter of whether the world needs a fourth Ice Age movie pales beside the question of why there were three before it, but Continental Drift feels less like an extension of a theatrical franchise than an episode of a middling TV cartoon, lolling around on territory that’s already been settled.

An approximate amount or extent.

* (John Milton) (1608-1674)

No small matter of British forces were commanded over sea the year before.

* (w, Roger L'Estrange) (1616-1704)

Away he goes,a matter of seven miles.

* (William Congreve) (1670-1729)

I have thoughts to tarry a small matter .

(obsolete) The essence; the pith; the embodiment.

* (Ben Jonson) (1572-1637)

He is the matter of virtue.

(obsolete) Inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing.

* (John Milton) (1608-1674)

And this is the matter why interpreters upon that passage in Hosea will not consent it to be a true story, that the prophet took a harlot to wife.

(obsolete) Pus.

Noun

(en noun)

A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance.

* Bible, Rom. vii. 11

Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me.

* Waller

I'll take the occasion which he gives to bring / Him to his death.

The time when something happens.

*, chapter=13

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them.}}

An occurrence or state of affairs which causes some event or reaction; a motive or reason.

Something which causes something else; a cause.

* 1624 , John Smith, Generall Historie , in Kupperman 1988, p. 130:

it were too vile to say, and scarce to be beleeved, what we endured: but the occasion was our owne, for want of providence, industrie and government [...].

(obsolete) An occurrence or incident.

A particular happening; an instance or time when something occurred.

*{{quote-news, year=2013, date=April 9, author=Andrei Lankov, title=Stay Cool. Call North Korea’s Bluff., work=New York Times citation

, passage=In the last two decades, North Korea has on various occasions conducted highly provocative missile and nuclear tests and promised to turn Seoul into a sea of fire. }}

Need; requirement, necessity.

*

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.}}

* Jeremy Taylor

after we have served ourselves and our own occasions

* Burke

when my occasions took me into France

A special event or function.

A reason or excuse; a motive; a persuasion.

* Spenser

Whose manner was, all passengers to stay, / And entertain with her occasions sly.