Adjacent Words

Matter definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MAT'TER, n. [L. materia; Heb. to measure; L. metior.]
1. Substance excreted from living animal bodies; that which is thrown our of discharged in a tumor,boil or abscess; pus; purulent substance collected in an abscess, the effect of suppuration more or less perfect; as digested matter; sanious matter.
2. Body; substance extended; that which is visible or tangible; as earth, wood, stone, air, vapor, water.
3. In a more general and philosophic sense, the substance of which all bodies are composed; the substratum of sensible qualities, though the parts composing the substratum may not be visible or tangible.
Matter is usually divided by philosophical writers into four kinds or classes; solid, liquid; aeriform, and imponderable. Solid substances are those whose parts firmly cohere and resist impression, as wood or stone; liquids have free motion among their parts, and easily yield to impression, as water and wine. Aeriform substances are elastic fluids, called vapors and gases, as air and oxygen gas. The imponderable substances are destitute of weight, as light, caloric, electricity, and magnetism.
4. Subject; thing treated; that about which we write or speak; that which employs thought or excites emotion; as, this is matter of praise, of gratitude, or of astonishment.
Son of God, Savior of men, thy name
Shall be the copious matter of my song.
5. The very thing supposed or intended.
He grants the deluge to have come so very near the matter, that few escaped.
6. Affair; business; event; thing; course of things. Matters have succeeded well thus far; observe how matters stand; thus the matter rests at present; thus the matter ended.
To help the matter,the alchimists call in many vanities from astrology.
Some young female seems to have carried matters so far, that she is ripe for asking advice.
7. Cause of any event, as of any disturbance, of a disease, or of a difficulty. When a moving machine stops suddenly, we ask, what is the matter? When a person is ill, we ask, what is the matter? When a tumult or quarrel takes place, we ask, what is the matter?
8. Subject of complaint; suit; demand.
If the matter should be tried by duel between two champions--
Every great matter they shall bring to thee, but every small matter they shall judge-- Exodus 18.
9. Import; consequence; importance; moment.
A prophet some, and some a poet cry,
No matter which, so neither of them lie.
10. Space of time; a portion of distance.
I have thoughts to tarry a small matter.
Away he goes, a matter of seven miles--
[In these last senses,the use of matter is now vulgar.]
Upon the matter, considering the whole; taking all things into view. This phrase is now obsolete; but in lieu of it, we sometimes use, upon the whole matter.
Waller, with Sir William Balfour, exceeded in horse, but were, upon the whole matter, equal in foot.
Matter of record, that which is recorded, or which may be proved by record.
MAT'TER, v.i. To be of importance; to import; used with it, this, that, or what. This matters not; that matters not; chiefly used in negative phrases; as, what matters it?
It matters not how they are called, so we know who they are.
1. To maturate; to form pus; to collect, as matter in an abscess.
Each slight sore mattereth. [Little used.]
[We now use maturate.]
MAT'TER, v.t. To regard. [Not used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a vaguely specified concern; "several matters to attend to"; "it is none of your affair"; "things are going well" [syn: matter, affair, thing]
2: some situation or event that is thought about; "he kept drifting off the topic"; "he had been thinking about the subject for several years"; "it is a matter for the police" [syn: topic, subject, issue, matter]
3: that which has mass and occupies space; "physicists study both the nature of matter and the forces which govern it"
4: a problem; "is anything the matter?"
5: (used with negation) having consequence; "they were friends and it was no matter who won the games"
6: written works (especially in books or magazines); "he always took some reading matter with him on the plane" v
1: have weight; have import, carry weight; "It does not matter much" [syn: count, matter, weigh]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English matere, from Anglo-French, from Latin materia matter, physical substance, from mater Date: 13th century 1. a. a subject under consideration b. a subject of disagreement or litigation c. plural the events or circumstances of a particular situation d. the subject or substance of a discourse or writing e. something of an indicated kind or having to do with an indicated field or situation <this is a serious matter> <as a matter of policy> <matters of faith> f. something to be proved in law g. obsolete sensible or serious material as distinguished from nonsense or drollery h. (1) obsolete reason, cause (2) a source especially of feeling or emotion i. problem, difficulty 2. a. the substance of which a physical object is composed b. material substance that occupies space, has mass, and is composed predominantly of atoms consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons, that constitutes the observable universe, and that is interconvertible with energy c. a material substance of a particular kind or for a particular purpose <vegetable matter> d. (1) material (as feces or urine) discharged from the living body (2) material discharged by suppuration ; pus 3. a. the indeterminate subject of reality; especially the element in the universe that undergoes formation and alteration b. the formless substratum of all things which exists only potentially and upon which form acts to produce realities 4. a more or less definite amount or quantity <cooks in a matter of minutes> 5. something written or printed 6. mail 7. Christian Science the illusion that the objects perceived by the physical senses have the reality of substance II. intransitive verb Date: 1530 1. to form or discharge pus ; suppurate <mattering wound> 2. to be of importance ; signify

Britannica Concise

Material substance that constitutes the observable universe and, together with energy, forms the basis of all objective phenomena. Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter. Every physical entity can be described, physically and mathematically, in terms of interrelated quantities of mass, inertia, and gravitation. Matter in bulk occurs in several states; the most familiar are the gaseous (see gas), liquid, and solid states (plasmas, glasses, and various others are less clearly defined), each with characteristic properties. According to A. Einstein's special theory of relativity, matter and energy are equivalent and interconvertible (see conservation law).

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit. b that which has mass and occupies space. 2 a particular substance (colouring matter). 3 (prec. by the; often foll. by with) the thing that is amiss (what is the matter?; there is something the matter with him). 4 material for thought or expression. 5 a the substance of a book, speech, etc., as distinct from its manner or form. b Logic the particular content of a proposition, as distinct from its form. 6 a thing or things of a specified kind (printed matter; reading matter). 7 an affair or situation being considered, esp. in a specified way (a serious matter; a matter for concern; the matter of your overdraft). 8 Physiol. a any substance in or discharged from the body (faecal matter; grey matter). b pus. 9 (foll. by of, for) what is or may be a good reason for (complaint, regret, etc.). 10 Printing the body of a printed work, as type or as printed sheets. --v.intr. 1 (often foll. by to) be of importance; have significance (it does not matter to me when it happened). 2 secrete or discharge pus. Phrases and idioms: as a matter of fact in reality (esp. to correct a falsehood or misunderstanding). for that matter (or for the matter of that) 1 as far as that is concerned. 2 and indeed also. in the matter of as regards. a matter of 1 approximately (for a matter of 40 years). 2 a thing that relates to, depends on, or is determined by (a matter of habit; only a matter of time before they agree). a matter of course see COURSE. a matter of fact 1 what belongs to the sphere of fact as distinct from opinion etc. 2 Law the part of a judicial inquiry concerned with the truth of alleged facts (see also MATTER-OF-FACT). a matter of form a mere routine. a matter of law Law the part of a judicial inquiry concerned with the interpretation of the law. a matter of record see RECORD. no matter 1 (foll. by when, how, etc.) regardless of (will do it no matter what the consequences). 2 it is of no importance. what is the matter with surely there is no objection to. what matter? that need not worry us. Etymology: ME f. AF mater(i)e, OF matiere f. L materia timber, substance, subject of discourse

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Matter Mat"ter, n. [OE. matere, F. mati[`e]re, fr. L. materia; perh. akin to L. mater mother. Cf. Mother, Madeira, Material.] 1. That of which anything is composed; constituent substance; material; the material or substantial part of anything; the constituent elements of conception; that into which a notion may be analyzed; the essence; the pith; the embodiment. He is the matter of virtue. --B. Jonson. 2. That of which the sensible universe and all existent bodies are composed; anything which has extension, occupies space, or is perceptible by the senses; body; substance. Note: Matter is usually divided by philosophical writers into three kinds or classes: solid, liquid, and a["e]riform. Solid substances are those whose parts firmly cohere and resist impression, as wood or stone. Liquids have free motion among their parts, and easily yield to impression, as water and wine. A["e]riform substances are elastic fluids, called vapors and gases, as air and oxygen gas. 3. That with regard to, or about which, anything takes place or is done; the thing aimed at, treated of, or treated; subject of action, discussion, consideration, feeling, complaint, legal action, or the like; theme. ``If the matter should be tried by duel.'' --Bacon. Son of God, Savior of men ! Thy name Shall be the copious matter of my song. --Milton. Every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge. --Ex. xviii. 22. 4. That which one has to treat, or with which one has to do; concern; affair; business. To help the matter, the alchemists call in many vanities out of astrology. --Bacon. Some young female seems to have carried matters so far, that she is ripe for asking advice. --Spectator. 5. Affair worthy of account; thing of consequence; importance; significance; moment; -- chiefly in the phrases what matter ? no matter, and the like. A prophet some, and some a poet, cry; No matter which, so neither of them lie. --Dryden. 6. Inducing cause or occasion, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing; difficulty; trouble. 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. --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Matter Mat"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Mattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Mattering.] 1. To be of importance; to import; to signify. It matters not how they were called. --Locke. 2. To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate. [R.] ``Each slight sore mattereth.'' --Sir P. Sidney.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Matter Mat"ter, v. t. To regard as important; to take account of; to care for. [Obs.] He did not matter cold nor hunger. --H. Brooke.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(matters, mattering, mattered) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A matter is a task, situation, or event which you have to deal with or think about, especially one that involves problems. It was clear that she wanted to discuss some private matter... Until the matter is resolved the athletes will be ineligible to compete... Don't you think this is now a matter for the police?... Business matters drew him to Paris. = affair N-COUNT: usu with supp 2. You use matters to refer to the situation you are talking about, especially when something is affecting the situation in some way. If your ordinary life is out of control, then retreating into a cosy ritual will not improve matters... If it would facilitate matters, I would be happy to come to New York... Matters took an unexpected turn. N-PLURAL: no det 3. If you say that a situation is a matter of a particular thing, you mean that that is the most important thing to be done or considered when you are involved in the situation or explaining it. History is always a matter of interpretation... Jack had attended these meetings as a matter of routine for years. = question N-SING: a N of n/-ing 4. Printed matter consists of books, newspapers, and other texts that are printed. Reading matter consists of things that are suitable for reading, such as books and newspapers. ...the Government's plans to levy VAT on printed matter. ...a rich variety of reading matter. N-UNCOUNT: supp N 5. Matter is the physical part of the universe consisting of solids, liquids, and gases. A proton is an elementary particle of matter. N-UNCOUNT 6. You use matter to refer to a particular type of substance. ...waste matter from industries. N-UNCOUNT: with supp 7. You use matter in expressions such as 'What's the matter?' or 'Is anything the matter?' when you think that someone has a problem and you want to know what it is. Carole, what's the matter? You don't seem happy... She told him there was nothing the matter. N-SING: the N, oft N with n 8. You use matter in expressions such as 'a matter of weeks' when you are emphasizing how small an amount is or how short a period of time is. Within a matter of days she was back at work... N-SING: a N of pl-n [emphasis] 9. If you say that something does not matter, you mean that it is not important to you because it does not have an effect on you or on a particular situation. A lot of the food goes on the floor but that doesn't matter... As long as staff are smart, it does not matter how long their hair is... Does it matter that people don't know this?... Money is the only thing that matters to them. VERB: no cont, usu with brd-neg, V, it V wh, it V that, V to n, also it V 10. see also grey matter, subject matter 11. If you say that something is another matter or a different matter, you mean that it is very different from the situation that you have just discussed. Being responsible for one's own health is one thing, but being responsible for another person's health is quite a different matter... PHRASE: v-link PHR 12. If you are going to do something as a matter of urgency or priority, you are going to do it as soon as possible, because it is important. Your doctor and health visitor can help a great deal and you need to talk about it with them as a matter of urgency. PHRASE: PHR n 13. If something is no easy matter, it is difficult to do it. Choosing the colour for the drawing-room walls was no easy matter. PHRASE: v-link PHR 14. If someone says that's the end of the matter or that's an end to the matter, they mean that a decision that has been taken must not be changed or discussed any more. 'He's moving in here,' Maria said. 'So that's the end of the matter.' PHRASE 15. You use the fact of the matter is or the truth of the matter is to introduce a fact which supports what you are saying or which is not widely known, for example because it is a secret. The fact of the matter is that most people consume far more protein than they actually need... PHRASE: V inflects, PHR that 16. You can use for that matter to emphasize that the remark you are making is true in the same way as your previous, similar remark. The irony was that Shawn had not seen her. Nor for that matter had anyone else... = come to that PHRASE: PHR with cl [emphasis] 17. You say 'it doesn't matter' to tell someone who is apologizing to you that you are not angry or upset, and that they should not worry. 'Did I wake you?'—'Yes, but it doesn't matter.' CONVENTION 18. If you say that something is no laughing matter, you mean that it is very serious and not something that you should laugh or joke about. Their behaviour is an offence. It's no laughing matter. = no joke PHRASE: v-link PHR 19. If you say that something makes matters worse, you mean that it makes a difficult situation even more difficult. Don't let yourself despair; this will only make matters worse... PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR with cl 20. You use no matter in expressions such as 'no matter how' and 'no matter what' to say that something is true or happens in all circumstances. No matter what your age, you can lose weight by following this program... PHRASE: PHR wh 21. If you say that you are going to do something no matter what, you are emphasizing that you are definitely going to do it, even if there are obstacles or difficulties. He had decided to publish the manuscript no matter what... = come what may PHRASE: PHR with cl [emphasis] 22. If you say that a statement is a matter of opinion, you mean that it is not a fact, and that other people, including yourself, do not agree with it. 'We're not that contrived. We're not that theatrical.'—'That's a matter of opinion.' PHRASE: v-link PHR 23. If you say that something is just a matter of time, you mean that it is certain to happen at some time in the future. It would be only a matter of time before he went through with it. PHRASE: v-link PHR 24. a matter of life and death: see death as a matter of course: see course as a matter of fact: see fact mind over matter: see mind

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mat'-er: This word being a very general term may express various ideas. the Revised Version (British and American) therefore frequently changes the reading of the King James Version in order to state more definitely the meaning of the context (compare Ex 24:14; 1Sa 16:18; 1Ki 8:59; 2Sa 11:19; Es 3:4; Ps 35:20; 64:5; Pr 16:20; 18:13). dabhar, and the Greek logos, both meaning "word," are very frequently translated by "matter." hule, "wood," is rendered "matter" in Jas 3:5 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) "how much wood is kindled"; compare Sirach 28:10). Job 32:18 translates literally, "words"; also Da 4:17, "sentence." diaphero, "to carry in different places," "to differ," is rendered "to make matter" (Ga 2:6). The meaning is "it makes a difference," "it matters," "it is of importance."

A. L. Breslich

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Substance, body. 2. Sense, substance. 3. Good sense, substance. 4. Trouble, cause of distress, difficulty. 5. Thing. 6. Indefinite amount, quantity, or portion. 7. Stuff, material, raw material. 8. Topic, subject, question, subject-matter, matter in hand. 9. Affair, business, concern, thing, event, course of things. 10. Importance, consequence, import, moment, significance. 11. Pus, purulence, purulent matter. II. v. n. 1. Signify, import, be of importance, be of consequence. 2. Maturate, suppurate.

Moby Thesaurus

activities, activity, ado, affair, affairs, air, ambition, amount, amount to something, amplitude, annoyance, anxiety, argument, article, aspect, aspiration, atom, atomic particles, atoms, autograph, bag, basis, be featured, be prominent, be somebody, be something, being, besetment, body, bother, brainchild, brute matter, building block, bulk, burden, business, calling, can of worms, carry weight, case, cause, chapter, chemical element, chyle, circumstance, colostrum, commerce, complication, component, composed matter, composition, computer printout, concern, concernment, condition, consequence, consideration, constituent, content, context, copy, core, count, cut ice, cut some ice, datum, dead matter, detail, difficulty, dilemma, disadvantage, discharge, distillate, distillation, document, doing, draft, earth, edited version, element, elementary particle, elementary unit, elixir, employ, employment, engrossment, enigma, enterprise, entity, episode, essay, essence, essentials, event, evil, extent, fabric, facet, fact, factor, fair copy, fester, festering, fiction, final draft, finished version, fire, first draft, flimsy, focus of attention, focus of interest, force, function, fundamental particle, get top billing, gist, gleet, goal, great ado, grievance, ground, guiding light, guiding star, head, headache, heading, heart, holograph, humor, hyle, hypostasis, ichor, ideal, implication, import, importance, incident, incidental, inconvenience, individual, inspiration, instance, intention, interest, issue, item, job, kernel, labor, lachryma, lactation, letter, leukorrhea, literae scriptae, literary artefact, literary production, literature, live matter, living issue, lodestar, lookout, lucubration, lymph, magnitude, main point, mainspring, manuscript, marrow, mass, material, material world, materiality, matter in hand, mattering, mean, meaning, meaningfulness, measure, measurement, meat, medium, milk, minor detail, minutia, minutiae, molecule, moment, monad, motif, motive, mucor, mucus, natural world, nature, neighborhood, nonfiction, nub, numbers, object, occasion, occupation, occurrence, opus, order, original, paper, parchment, particular, peccant humor, peck of troubles, penscript, phlegm, physical world, piece, piece of writing, pith, play, plenum, poem, point, point at issue, point in question, predicament, principle, printed matter, printout, problem, proceeding, production, purport, purulence, pus, puzzle, quandary, quantity, quantum, question, quintessence, range, rankle, rankling, reading matter, reason, recension, regard, respect, rheum, ripen, rubric, run, running, sake, saliva, sanies, sap, score, screed, scrip, script, scrive, scroll, sea of troubles, second draft, sense, serous fluid, serum, service, significance, signification, signify, situation, snot, soul, source, spirit, spring, stand out, standing matter, star, strength, stuff, subject, subject matter, subject of thought, substance, substratum, sum, sum and substance, suppurate, suppuration, sweat, tangible, tear, teardrop, tell, text, the four elements, the whites, the written word, theme, thing, to-do, topic, transaction, transcript, transcription, trouble, tune, typescript, ulterior motive, undertaking, unit of being, upset, upshot, urine, version, vicinity, vocation, water, weep, weigh, weight, whole, work, worry, writing