Part 6874

<hw>Mas*tol"o*gy</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/ the breast + <ets>-logy</ets>: cf. F. <ets>mastologie</ets>.]</ety> <def>The natural history of Mammalia.</def>

<h1>Mastress</h1> <Xpage=901>

<hw>Mas"tress</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>Mistress.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<h1>Masturbation</h1> <Xpage=901>

<hw>Mas`tur*ba"tion</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>masturbatus</ets>, p. p. of <ets>masturbari</ets> to practice onanism: cf. F. <ets>masturbation</ets>.]</ety> <def>Onanism; self-pollution.</def>

<h1>Masty</h1> <Xpage=901>

<hw>Mast"y</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[See lst <er>Mast</er>.]</ety> <def>Full of mast; abounding in acorns, etc.</def>

<h1>Masula boat</h1> <Xpage=901>

<hw>Ma*su"la boat`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>. <def>Same as <er>Masoola boat</er>.</def>

<h1>Mat</h1> <Xpage=901>

<hw>Mat</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. <er>Matte</er>.]</ety> <def>A name given by coppersmiths to an alloy of copper, tin, iron, etc., usually called <i>white metal</i>.</def> <altsp>[Written also <asp>matt</asp>.]</altsp>

<h1>Mat</h1> <Xpage=901>

<hw>Mat</hw>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[OF. See 4th <er>Mate</er>.]</ety> <def>Cast down; dejected; overthrown; slain.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<blockquote>When he saw them so piteous and so <b>maat</b>. <i>Chaucer.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Mat</h1> <Xpage=901>

<hw>Mat</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>matt</ets>, <ets>meatt</ets>, fr. L. <ets>matta</ets> a mat made of rushes.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>A fabric of sedge, rushes, flags, husks, straw, hemp, or similar material, used for wiping and cleaning shoes at the door, for covering the floor of a hall or room, and for other purposes.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Any similar fabric for various uses, as for covering plant houses, putting beneath dishes or lamps on a table, securing rigging from friction, and the like.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>Anything growing thickly, or closely interwoven, so as to resemble a mat in form or texture; <as>as, a <ex>mat</ex> of weeds; a <ex>mat</ex> of hair.</as></def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>An ornamental border made of paper, pasterboard, metal, etc., put under the glass which covers a framed picture; <as>as, the <ex>mat</ex> of a daguerreotype</as>.</def>

<cs><col>Mat grass</col>. <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <cd>A low, tufted, European grass (<spn>Nardus stricta</spn>)</cd>. <sd>(b)</sd> <cd>Same as <er>Matweed</er>.</cd> -- <col>Mat rush</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>a kind of rush (<spn>Scirpus lacustris</spn>) used in England for making mats.</cd></cs>

<h1>Mat</h1> <Xpage=901>

<hw>Mat</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Matted</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Matting</er>.]</wordforms> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To cover or lay with mats.</def>

<i>Evelyn.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To twist, twine, or felt together; to interweave into, or like, a mat; to entangle.</def>

<blockquote>And o'er his eyebrows hung his <b>matted</b> hair. <i>Dryden.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Mat</h1> <Xpage=901>

<hw>Mat</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To grow thick together; to become interwoven or felted together like a mat.</def>