mate
Mate means “friend” in British, Australian, New Zealand and Irish English, and it’s also how people there address a stranger: “Cheers, mate.”
What mate means
Wiktionary gives two everyday senses, used in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa: a friend, usually of the same sex (“I’m going to the pub with a few mates”), and a friendly way to address someone, usually a man of about your age (“Excuse me, mate, have you got the time?”). Merriam-Webster labels the friend sense chiefly British.
Tone matters. A warm “cheers, mate” is friendly, but a slow, pointed “listen, mate” is a warning. In Australia the word carries extra weight: mateship, Wikipedia notes, is a cultural ideal of equality, loyalty and friendship.
Other meanings of mate
- Partner: a husband, wife or partner, and either of a breeding pair of animals.
- Ship’s officer: as in first mate.
- In compounds: flatmate, classmate, teammate, running mate.
Examples
- “Cheers, mate.”
- “He’s my best mate.”
- “Alright, mate? Long time no see.”
Where it came from
Merriam-Webster traces it to Middle English and probably Middle Low German māt, related to an Old English word for a guest at your table and to “meat” in its old sense of food. So, roughly, a mate was once someone you shared a meal with.
Related terms
More British words are in our British slang guide, and Aussie ones in our Australian slang guide.
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