from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Match \Match\, n. [OE. macche, AS. gemaecca; akin to gemaca, and
to OS. gimako, OHG. gimah fitting, suitable, convenient,
Icel. mark suitable, maki mate, Sw. make, Dan. mage; all from
the root of E. make, v. See {Make} mate, and {Make}, v., and
cf. {Mate} an associate.]
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1. A person or thing equal or similar to another; one able to
mate or cope with another; an equal; a mate.
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Government . . . makes an innocent man, though of
the lowest rank, a match for the mightiest of his
fellow subjects. --Addison.
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2. A bringing together of two parties suited to one another,
as for a union, a trial of skill or force, a contest, or
the like; specifically:
(a) A contest to try strength or skill, or to determine
superiority; a sporting contest; an emulous struggle.
"Many a warlike match." --Drayton.
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A solemn match was made; he lost the prize.
--Dryden.
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(b) A matrimonial union; a marriage.
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3. An agreement, compact, etc. "Thy hand upon that match."
--Shak.
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Love doth seldom suffer itself to be confined by
other matches than those of its own making. --Boyle.
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4. A candidate for matrimony; one to be gained in marriage.
"She . . . was looked upon as the richest match of the
West." --Clarendon.
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5. Equality of conditions in contest or competition, or one
who provides equal competition to another in a contest;
as, he had no match as a swordsman within the city.
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It were no match, your nail against his horn.
--Shak.
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6. Suitable combination or bringing together; that which
corresponds or harmonizes with something else; as, the
carpet and curtains are a match.
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7. (Founding) 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.
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{Match boarding} (Carp.), boards fitted together with tongue
and groove, or prepared to be so fitted; a surface
composed of match boarding. See {matchboard}.
{Match game}, a game arranged as a test of superiority.
{Match plane} (Carp.), either of the two planes used to shape
the edges of boards which are joined by grooving and
tonguing.
{Match plate} (Founding), a board or plate on the opposite
sides of which the halves of a pattern are fastened, to
facilitate molding. --Knight.
{Match wheel} (Mach.), a cogwheel of suitable pitch to work
with another wheel; specifically, one of a pair of
cogwheels of equal size.
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