# mat

> English word · Noun · IPA /mæt/ · frequency rank #9,065

## Definitions
1. A flat piece of coarse material used for wiping one’s feet, or as a decorative or protective floor covering.
2. A small flat piece of material used to protect a surface from anything hot or rough; a coaster.
3. A floor pad to protect athletes.
4. A thickly tangled mess.
5. A thin layer of woven, non-woven, or knitted fiber that serves as reinforcement to a material.
6. A thin surface layer; superficial cover.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English matte (“mat”), from Old English meatte (“mat”), from Late Latin matta (“mat made of rushes”), from Punic or Phoenician (compare Hebrew מיטה \ מִטָּה (mitá, “bed, couch”)). Cognate with German Matte (“mat”), Danish måtte (“mat”), Faroese and Icelandic motta (“rug, mat”), Norwegian matte (“mat, rug”), Swedish matta (“carpet, rug, mat”).

## Easily confused with
- **my** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-my)
- **ME** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-me)
- **Mr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mr)
- **MS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-ms)
- **MM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mm)
- **MO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mo)
- **mi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mi)
- **MP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mp)
- **MD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-md)
- **MT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mt)
- **MG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mg)
- **MC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mc)
- **ML** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-ml)
- **MB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mb)
- **MN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mn)
- **mu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mu)
- **MK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mk)
- **MW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mw)
- **MV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mv)
- **MJ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mj)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mat