matere

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Anglo-Norman matere, from Latin māteria.

Alternative forms

• mater, materie, matier, matiere, mateer, matire, matir, matyre, matyr, mature, matur

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈtɛːr(ə)/, /ˈmatər(ə)/, /ˈmaːtər(ə)/

Noun

matere (plural materes)

1. Matter or stuff; that which things are composed of:
   1. Primordial, crude or essential matter; matter without complication.
   2. (rare) The real essence or body of something (as opposed to its form or permutations)
   3. (rare, theology) The physical actions or part of a Christian ritual.
2. A material or substance; something which things are created or made from:
   1. A thing or substance which forms part of a larger whole; a component.
   2. An ingredient or part of a recipe; that which is used to make alongside other things.
   3. The germ of something; something which other things are developed or grown from.
3. One of a human body's liquids or fluids; a biofluid:
   1. A harmful, disease-bringing, or deleterious bodily fluid.
   2. (rare) Partially digested food while sitting in the stomach.
4. A pursuit, occurrence, condition, or event, especially when problematic:
   1. A debate, argument, or contestation between two sides.
   2. (law) A lawsuit or litigation; legal action or activity.
   3. A recounting, recollection, or narration of an event (whether written or verbal)
5. A topic or theme; an area of knowledge or discussion:
   1. The primary area or topic discussed in a piece of literature.
   2. The primary theme, point or thesis of a piece of literature.
   3. A science; an discipline, branch, or area of formal knowledge.
   4. The information or informants one draws upon for a work; the matter used as source.
6. The (usually intrinsic or innate) state or characteristics of something.
7. One's motivation, justification, or reasoning for an action.
8. Wood or timber, especially when used to stoke a fire.
9. (rare) A twig or bough; a portion of a plant or tree.
10. (rare) The internal liquids of a plant or tree.
11. (rare) A specific, fully-formed object.

Related terms

• material
• materialy

Descendants

• English: matter
• Scots: matter, maitter

References

• “mā̆tē̆r(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-10.

Etymology 2

From Latin māter (“mother”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmaːtər/

Noun

matere

1. (rare, Late Middle English) womb
   • ante 1475: Ludus Coventriæ, XLI: “The Assumption of the Virgin”, lines 5–8

     At fourten yer sche conseyved Cryste in hire matere clere,
     

     And in the fiftene yer sche chyldyd, this avowe dare I;
     

     Here lyvyng wyth that swete sone thre and thretty yere,
     

     And after his deth in erthe xij. yer dede sche tary.

Descendants

• English: mater

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

matere

1. genitive plural of mati
2. nominative plural of mati
3. accusative plural of mati
4. vocative plural of mati