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单词 matter
释义

matter

See also: Matter and måtter

English

Etymology

From Middle English matere, mater, from Anglo-Norman matere, materie, from Old French materie, matiere, from Latin materia (“wood”), from mater (“mother”), in which case cognate with Old Armenian մայր (mayr, “cedar”) and մայրի (mayri, “forest”). More recently, referred to Proto-Indo-European *dem-. Doublet of Madeira and mother.

DisplacedMiddle English andweorc, andwork (“material, matter”), from Old English andweorc (“matter, substance, material”)), Old English intinga (“matter, affair, business”).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈmætə/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈmætɚ/, [-ɾɚ]
  • Audio (GA)(file)
  • Homophone: madder (some US pronunciations)
  • Rhymes: -ætə(ɹ)
  • Hyphenation: mat‧ter

Noun

matter (countable and uncountable, plural matters)

  1. (uncountable) Material; substance.
    1. (physics) The basic structural component of the universe, usually having mass and volume.
    2. (physics) Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles.
      Antonym: antimatter
    3. A kind of substance.
      vegetable matter
    4. Printed material, especially in books or magazines.
      He always took some reading matter with him on the plane.
    5. (philosophy) Aristotelian: undeveloped potentiality subject to change and development; formlessness. Matter receives form, and becomes substance.
  2. An affair, condition, or subject, especially one of concern or (especially when preceded by the) one that is problematic.
    Is much the matter with the old plan?
    Something is the matter with him.
    state matters
    • 1597, Francis [Bacon], “Of the Colours of Good and Evill, a Fragment”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland […], published 1632, OCLC 863527675:
      So in many armies, if the matter ſhould bee tried by duell betvvene tvvo Champions, the victory ſhould goe on the one ſide, & yet if it be tried by the groſſe, it vvould goe on the other ſide: for excellencies goe as it vvere by chance, but kinds goe by a more certaine Nature, as by Diſcipline in vvarre.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
      Son of God, Saviour of men! Thy name / Shall be the copious matter of my song.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Exodus xviii:22:
      Every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge.
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., OCLC 222716698:
      The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; […] . Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.
    • 12 July 2012, Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift
      The matter of whether the world needs a fourth Ice Age movie pales beside the question of why there were three before it, but Continental Drift feels less like an extension of a theatrical franchise than an episode of a middling TV cartoon, lolling around on territory that’s already been settled.
  3. An approximate amount or extent.
    I stayed for a matter of months.
    • 1670, John Milton, “(please specify the page)”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , OCLC 946735472:
      No small matter of British forces were commanded over sea the year before.
    • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], OCLC 228727523:
      Away he goes, […] a matter of seven miles.
    • 1700, [William] Congreve, The Way of the World, a Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 228728146, Act III, scene xv, page 47:
      […] I have Thoughts to tarry a ſmall Matter in Town, to learn ſomewhat of your Lingo firſt, before I croſs the Seas.
  4. (obsolete) Essence; pith; embodiment.
    • 1611, Ben Jonson, Oberon, the Faery Prince
      He is the matter of virtue.
  5. (obsolete) (The) inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing.
    • 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: […], 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], OCLC 868004604, book:
      And this is the matter why interpreters upon that passage in Hosea will not consent it to be a true story, that the prophet took a harlot to wife.
  6. (dated, medicine) Pus.

Usage notes

  • As regards sense 2 ("an affair, condition, or subject, especially one of concern or one that is problematic"), the phrase the matter can in most cases be replaced by the adjective wrong. Thus, a phrase like "there is nothing the matter" can be reworded as "there is nothing wrong".

Synonyms

  • material
  • stuff
  • substance

Derived terms

  • as a matter of fact (“actually”)
  • as a matter of law
  • a small matter (“somewhat, slightly”)
  • back matter
  • baryonic dark matter
  • baryonic matter
  • condensed matter
  • dark matter
  • degenerate matter
  • fecal matter
  • for that matter (“in regards to”)
  • front matter
  • gray matter, grey matter
  • matter at hand
  • matterless
  • matter-of-fact
  • matter of record
  • mattery
  • mind over matter
  • no matter
  • organic matter
  • particulate matter
  • printed matter
  • state of matter
  • strange matter
  • subject-matter
  • what's the matter
  • white matter

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

matter (third-person singular simple present matters, present participle mattering, simple past and past participle mattered)

  1. (intransitive, stative) To be important. [from 16th c.]
    The only thing that matters to Jim is being rich.
    Sorry for pouring ketchup on your clean white shirt! - Oh, don't worry, it does not matter.
    • 1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, OCLC 5661828:
      As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish, […]. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. […] I do not suppose that it matters much in reality whether laws are made by dukes or cornerboys, but I like, as far as possible, to associate with gentlemen in private life.
    • 2011 April 10, Alistair Magowan, “Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport:
      Despite further attempts by Agbonlahor and Young, however, they could not find the goal to reward their endeavour.
      It mattered little as Newcastle's challenge faded and Villa began to dominate the game in midfield, and it was only Barton's continued sense of injustice that offered the visitors any spark in a tame contest.
  2. (transitive, in negative constructions, now England regional, Caribbean) To care about, to mind; to find important. [from 17th c.]
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292:
      , Folio Society 1973, p.47:
      Besides, if it had been out of doors I had not mattered it so much; but with my own servant, in my own house, under my own roof […]
    • 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LVI”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; […], OCLC 13631815:
      He matter'd not that, he said; coy maids made the fondest wives […].
  3. (intransitive, medicine, archaic) To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.
    • a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the page number)”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, OCLC 801077108; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912, OCLC 318419127:
      Each slight sore mattereth.

Synonyms

  • (be important): signify

Derived terms

  • it doesn't matter

Translations

References

    Further reading

    • matter on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
    • matter (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
    • “matter”, in Collins English Dictionary.
    • “matter” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.

    French

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ma.te/
    • Audio(file)

    Verb

    matter

    1. Alternative spelling of mater

    Conjugation

    Conjugation of matter (see also Appendix:French verbs)
    infinitivesimplematter
    compoundavoir + past participle
    present participle or gerund1simplemattant
    /ma.tɑ̃/
    compoundayant + past participle
    past participlematté
    /ma.te/
    singularplural
    firstsecondthirdfirstsecondthird
    indicativeje (j’)tuil, elle, onnousvousils, elles
    (simple
    tenses)    		presentmatte
    /mat/    		mattes
    /mat/    		matte
    /mat/    		mattons
    /ma.tɔ̃/    		mattez
    /ma.te/    		mattent
    /mat/
    imperfectmattais
    /ma.tɛ/    		mattais
    /ma.tɛ/    		mattait
    /ma.tɛ/    		mattions
    /ma.tjɔ̃/    		mattiez
    /ma.tje/    		mattaient
    /ma.tɛ/
    past historic2mattai
    /ma.te/    		mattas
    /ma.ta/    		matta
    /ma.ta/    		mattâmes
    /ma.tam/    		mattâtes
    /ma.tat/    		mattèrent
    /ma.tɛʁ/
    futurematterai
    /ma.tʁe/    		matteras
    /ma.tʁa/    		mattera
    /ma.tʁa/    		matterons
    /ma.tʁɔ̃/    		matterez
    /ma.tʁe/    		matteront
    /ma.tʁɔ̃/
    conditionalmatterais
    /ma.tʁɛ/    		matterais
    /ma.tʁɛ/    		matterait
    /ma.tʁɛ/    		matterions
    /ma.tə.ʁjɔ̃/    		matteriez
    /ma.tə.ʁje/    		matteraient
    /ma.tʁɛ/
    (compound
    tenses)    		present perfectpresent indicative of avoir + past participle
    pluperfectimperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
    past anterior2past historic of avoir + past participle
    future perfectfuture of avoir + past participle
    conditional perfectconditional of avoir + past participle
    subjunctiveque je (j’)que tuqu’il, qu’elleque nousque vousqu’ils, qu’elles
    (simple
    tenses)    		presentmatte
    /mat/    		mattes
    /mat/    		matte
    /mat/    		mattions
    /ma.tjɔ̃/    		mattiez
    /ma.tje/    		mattent
    /mat/
    imperfect2mattasse
    /ma.tas/    		mattasses
    /ma.tas/    		mattât
    /ma.ta/    		mattassions
    /ma.ta.sjɔ̃/    		mattassiez
    /ma.ta.sje/    		mattassent
    /ma.tas/
    (compound
    tenses)    		pastpresent subjunctive of avoir + past participle
    pluperfect2imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
    imperative–tu–nousvous–
    simple—matte
    /mat/    		—mattons
    /ma.tɔ̃/    		mattez
    /ma.te/    		—
    compound—simple imperative of avoir + past participle—simple imperative of avoir + past participlesimple imperative of avoir + past participle—
    1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
    2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
    • past historic → present perfect
    • past anterior → pluperfect
    • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
    • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

    (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

    Anagrams

    • mettra

    German

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈmatɐ/
    • Audio (Austria)(file)
    • Audio(file)

    Adjective

    matter

    1. comparative degree of matt
    2. inflection of matt:
      1. strong/mixed nominative masculine singular
      2. strong genitive/dative feminine singular
      3. strong genitive plural

    Middle French

    Alternative forms

    • mater

    Verb

    matter

    1. to checkmate

    Conjugation

    • Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
    Conjugation of matter
    infinitivesimplematter
    compoundavoir + past participle
    present participle1 or gerund2simple[[{{{1}}}ant#Middle French|{{{1}}}ant]]
    compoundpresent participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
    past participle[[{{{1}}}é#Middle French|{{{1}}}é]]
    singularplural
    firstsecondthirdfirstsecondthird
    indicativeie (i’)tuil, ellenousvousilz, elles
    (simple
    tenses)    		present[[{{{1}}}e#Middle French|{{{1}}}e]][[{{{1}}}es#Middle French|{{{1}}}es]][[{{{1}}}e#Middle French|{{{1}}}e]][[{{{1}}}ons#Middle French|{{{1}}}ons]][[{{{1}}}ez#Middle French|{{{1}}}ez]][[{{{1}}}ent#Middle French|{{{1}}}ent]]
    imperfect[[{{{1}}}ois#Middle French|{{{1}}}ois]], [[{{{1}}}oys#Middle French|{{{1}}}oys]][[{{{1}}}ois#Middle French|{{{1}}}ois]], [[{{{1}}}oys#Middle French|{{{1}}}oys]][[{{{1}}}oit#Middle French|{{{1}}}oit]], [[{{{1}}}oyt#Middle French|{{{1}}}oyt]][[{{{1}}}ions#Middle French|{{{1}}}ions]], [[{{{1}}}yons#Middle French|{{{1}}}yons]][[{{{1}}}iez#Middle French|{{{1}}}iez]], [[{{{1}}}yez#Middle French|{{{1}}}yez]][[{{{1}}}oient#Middle French|{{{1}}}oient]], [[{{{1}}}oyent#Middle French|{{{1}}}oyent]]
    past historic[[{{{1}}}a#Middle French|{{{1}}}a]][[{{{1}}}as#Middle French|{{{1}}}as]][[{{{1}}}a#Middle French|{{{1}}}a]][[{{{1}}}asmes#Middle French|{{{1}}}asmes]][[{{{1}}}astes#Middle French|{{{1}}}astes]][[{{{1}}}erent#Middle French|{{{1}}}erent]]
    future[[{{{1}}}erai#Middle French|{{{1}}}erai]], [[{{{1}}}eray#Middle French|{{{1}}}eray]][[{{{1}}}eras#Middle French|{{{1}}}eras]][[{{{1}}}era#Middle French|{{{1}}}era]][[{{{1}}}erons#Middle French|{{{1}}}erons]][[{{{1}}}erez#Middle French|{{{1}}}erez]][[{{{1}}}eront#Middle French|{{{1}}}eront]]
    conditional[[{{{1}}}erois#Middle French|{{{1}}}erois]], [[{{{1}}}eroys#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroys]][[{{{1}}}erois#Middle French|{{{1}}}erois]], [[{{{1}}}eroys#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroys]][[{{{1}}}eroit#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroit]], [[{{{1}}}eroyt#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroyt]][[{{{1}}}erions#Middle French|{{{1}}}erions]], [[{{{1}}}eryons#Middle French|{{{1}}}eryons]][[{{{1}}}eriez#Middle French|{{{1}}}eriez]], [[{{{1}}}eryez#Middle French|{{{1}}}eryez]][[{{{1}}}eroient#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroient]], [[{{{1}}}eroyent#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroyent]]
    (compound
    tenses)    		present perfectpresent indicative of avoir + past participle
    pluperfectimperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
    past anteriorpast historic of avoir + past participle
    future perfectfuture of avoir + past participle
    conditional perfectconditional of avoir + past participle
    subjunctiveque ie (i’)que tuqu’il, qu’elleque nousque vousqu’ilz, qu’elles
    (simple
    tenses)    		present[[{{{1}}}e#Middle French|{{{1}}}e]][[{{{1}}}es#Middle French|{{{1}}}es]][[{{{1}}}e#Middle French|{{{1}}}e]][[{{{1}}}ons#Middle French|{{{1}}}ons]][[{{{1}}}ez#Middle French|{{{1}}}ez]][[{{{1}}}ent#Middle French|{{{1}}}ent]]
    imperfect[[{{{1}}}asse#Middle French|{{{1}}}asse]][[{{{1}}}asses#Middle French|{{{1}}}asses]][[{{{1}}}ast#Middle French|{{{1}}}ast]][[{{{1}}}assions#Middle French|{{{1}}}assions]][[{{{1}}}assiez#Middle French|{{{1}}}assiez]][[{{{1}}}assent#Middle French|{{{1}}}assent]]
    (compound
    tenses)    		pastpresent subjunctive of avoir + past participle
    pluperfectimperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
    imperative–tu–nousvous–
    simple—[[{{{1}}}e#Middle French|{{{1}}}e]]—[[{{{1}}}ons#Middle French|{{{1}}}ons]][[{{{1}}}ez#Middle French|{{{1}}}ez]]—
    compound—simple imperative of avoir + past participle—simple imperative of avoir + past participlesimple imperative of avoir + past participle—
    1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679.
    2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], op. cit., p. 180).

    Norwegian Bokmål

    Noun

    matter m pl or f pl

    1. indefinite plural of matte (Etymology 1)

    Norwegian Nynorsk

    Noun

    matter f pl

    1. indefinite plural of matte (Etymology 1)
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