amate

1 of 3

transitive verb (1)

-ed/-ing/-s

archaic

: to cast down : dishearten, subdue

amate

2 of 3

transitive verb (2)

-ed/-ing/-s

obsolete

: to be a mate to : match

amate

3 of 3

noun

ama·​te

äˈmätē

plural -s

: a Central American timber tree (Ficus glabrata) with lustrous foliage and edible fruits

Word History

Etymology

Transitive verb (1)

Middle English amaten, from Middle French amatir, from Old French, from a- (from Latin ad-) + matir to overcome, from mat defeated, overcome

Transitive verb (2)

a- (perfective prefix) + mate (to couple, match)

Noun

Spanish, from Nahuatl amatl, short for amacuahuitl, literally, paper tree, from amatl paper + cuahuitl tree

First Known Use

Transitive Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Transitive Verb (2)

1578, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1862, in the meaning defined above

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