mate

Noun

Singular mate

Plural mates

1. (countable) A mate is someone you do something with. <> abokin aiki, sa'a.
   • Synonym: colleague

   Nils, my tent mate, was from the same elementary school in the city.

2. (countable); (colloquial); (UK, Australian) A mate is a friend, usually male. <> aboki.

   I'm meeting my mates later, after work.

   The two of them are best mates.

   What can I do for you, mate?

3. (countable) A mate is an animal's sexual partner. <> abokin saduwa, abokiyar saduwa.

   The zoo has been having trouble getting a mate for the panda.

4. (countable) A mate is a person's husband or wife. <> miji ko matar wani.

   And of all things We created two mates; perhaps you will remember. <> Kuma daga kõme Mun halitta nau'i biyu, watakila zã ku yi tunãni. = Kuma muka halitta kome nau'i biyu (na miji da mace), la'alla ku yi tunani. --Qur'an 51:49

5. (countable) A mate is the other member of a matched pair of objects.
6. (countable) A drink made from yerba mate.

Related words

• mateship
• matey
• bunkmate
• cellmate
• checkmate
• classmate
• crewmate
• roommate
• shipmate

Verb

Plain form (yanzu) mate

3rd-person singular (ana cikin yi) mates

Past tense (ya wuce) mated

Past participle (ya wuce) mated

Present participle (ana cikin yi) mating

1. (intransitive) In animals, to have sex. <> saduwa, yin aure.

   The monkeys were going to mate. <> Birayen za su sadu.

   The birds are mating. <> Tsuntsayen suna aure.

   The female shows she's ready to mate by showing her red bottom to the male.

2. (transitive) To match two things together.

   That morning when they tried to mate her with our bull, she had no idea what to do.

Related words

• mating