Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Mate, Mait, Mat, v.¹ Also: mayt, mete, meit. P.p. mait. [ME. mate(n (Ancr. R.), maate, mat (Cursor M.), e.m.E. mate, OF. mater f. mat Mate a.]

1. a. tr. To checkmate. b. intr. To suffer checkmate, be mated. ?1438 Alex. ii. 3768.
I sall haue the nixt [move] … And mete him [F. li dirai mat] syne … With ane alphine a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 202 (W).
I got sic check That I micht neither muife nor neck, Bot ather stale or mait [L. meit]

2. tr. a. To vanquish, overcome, overthrow. b. To exhaust, tire out. c. To vanquish or confound with argument, to baffle. d. ? To frustrate, obstruct, hinder, or ? to weary, vex (? with pertinacious argument).a. ?1438 Alex. ii. 7914.
In the warld … Mycht nane be gottin that mycht thame mait a1568 Bann. MS. 226 b/10.
My soir regrait my e hes mait for euirb. 1513 Doug. ix. x. 37.
Our childir ȝyng … Wild deir throw owt the woddis chais and mait [L. fatigant; Sm. mayt, R. mate]c. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2008 (Ch.).
Wenis thow with wylis And with thy mony mowis me to mat [: catt, that]d. a1500 Rauf C. 513.
And thow mat me ony mair, cum efter quhat sa may, Thow and I sall dyntis deill