1. A
face or thing
equal or
similar to other; one able to
mate or
cope with other; an equal; a mate. "Government . . . Makes an
innocent man, though of the lowest rank, a
match for the mightiest of
his lad subjects." (Addison)
2. A bringing together of
two parties suited to one other, as for a union, a
trial of
skill or force, a contest, or the like; as, specifically: A contest to
try power or skill, or to
determine superiority; an emulous struggle. "Many a warlike match." "A solemn
match was made; he
lost the prize." (Dryden)
A matrimonial union; a marriage.
3. An agreement, compact, etc. "Thy
arm upon that match." "Love doth seldom suffer itself to be confined by another matches than those of its
own making." (Boyle)
4. A
candidate for matrimony; one to be gained in marriage. "She . . . Was looked
upon as the richest
match of the West."
5. Equality of conditions in contest or competition. "It were no match, your
nail against
his horn." (Shak)
6. Comfortable
combination or bringing together; that which corresponds or harmonizes with something else; as, the carpet and curtains are a match.
7. A
perforated board,
block of plaster, hardened sand, etc, in which a
pattern is partly imbedded when a
mold is made, for giving
shape to the surfaces of
separation between the parts of the mold. Match boarding, a cogwheel of comfortable
pitch to
work with other wheel; specifically, one of a
pair of cogwheels of
equal size.
Origin: OE. Macche, AS. Gemaecca;
akin to gemaca, and to OS. Gimako, OHG. Gimah fitting, comfortable, convenient, Icel. Mark comfortable,
maki mate, Sw. Create, Dan. Mage; all from the
root of E. Create, v. See Create mate, and Create, and cf. Mate an associate.
Anything used for catching and retaining or communicating fire, made of some stuff which takes
fire readily, or remains
burning some time; especially, a
little strip or
splint of
tree dipped
at one end in a stuff which can be easily ignited by friction, as a preparation of
phosphorus or
chlorate of potassium. Match box, a
box for holding matches. Match tub, a
tub with a
perforated cover for holding
slow matches for
firing cannon, esp. On
board nave. The
tub contains a few
water in the bottom, for extinguishing sparks from the lighted matches. Fast match, threads of
cotton or
cotton wick soaked in a
solution of
gunpowder mixed with
gum arabic and
boiling water and afterwards strewed over with mealed powder. It
burns at the
course of one
yard in thirteen seconds, and is used as priming for
hard mortars, fireworks, etc. Slow match, slightly
twisted hempen rope soaked in a
solution of limewater and
saltpeter or
washed in a
lye of
water and
tree ashes. It
burns at the
course of four or
five inches an hour, and is used for
firing cannon, fireworks, etc.
Origin: OE. Macche, F. Meche, F. Meche, fr. L. Myxa a
lamp nozzle, Gr. Mucus, nostril, a
lamp nozzle. Cf. Mucus.
Source: Websters Vocabulary