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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Match \Match\, n. [OE. macche, AS. gemaecca; akin to gemaca, and
to OS. gimako, OHG. gimah fitting, suitable, convenient,
Icel. mark suitable, maki mate, Sw. make, Dan. mage; all from
the root of E. make, v. See {Make} mate, and {Make}, v., and
cf. {Mate} an associate.]
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1. A person or thing equal or similar to another; one able to
mate or cope with another; an equal; a mate.
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Government . . . makes an innocent man, though of
the lowest rank, a match for the mightiest of his
fellow subjects. --Addison.
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2. A bringing together of two parties suited to one another,
as for a union, a trial of skill or force, a contest, or
the like; specifically:
(a) A contest to try strength or skill, or to determine
superiority; a sporting contest; an emulous struggle.
"Many a warlike match." --Drayton.
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A solemn match was made; he lost the prize.
--Dryden.
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(b) A matrimonial union; a marriage.
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3. An agreement, compact, etc. "Thy hand upon that match."
--Shak.
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Love doth seldom suffer itself to be confined by
other matches than those of its own making. --Boyle.
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4. A candidate for matrimony; one to be gained in marriage.
"She . . . was looked upon as the richest match of the
West." --Clarendon.
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5. Equality of conditions in contest or competition, or one
who provides equal competition to another in a contest;
as, he had no match as a swordsman within the city.
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It were no match, your nail against his horn.
--Shak.
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6. Suitable combination or bringing together; that which
corresponds or harmonizes with something else; as, the
carpet and curtains are a match.
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7. (Founding) A perforated board, block of plaster, hardened
sand, etc., in which a pattern is partly imbedded when a
mold is made, for giving shape to the surfaces of
separation between the parts of the mold.
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{Match boarding} (Carp.), boards fitted together with tongue
and groove, or prepared to be so fitted; a surface
composed of match boarding. See {matchboard}.

{Match game}, a game arranged as a test of superiority.

{Match plane} (Carp.), either of the two planes used to shape
the edges of boards which are joined by grooving and
tonguing.

{Match plate} (Founding), a board or plate on the opposite
sides of which the halves of a pattern are fastened, to
facilitate molding. --Knight.

{Match wheel} (Mach.), a cogwheel of suitable pitch to work
with another wheel; specifically, one of a pair of
cogwheels of equal size.
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Match \Match\ (m[a^]ch), n. [OE. macche, F. m[`e]che, F.
m[`e]che, fr. L. myxa a lamp nozzle, Gr. my`xa mucus,
nostril, a lamp nozzle. Cf. {Mucus}.]
Anything used for catching and retaining or communicating
fire, made of some substance which takes fire readily, or
remains burning some time; esp., a small strip or splint of
wood or cardboard dipped at one end in a substance which can
be easily ignited by friction, as a preparation of phosphorus
or chlorate of potassium.
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{Match tub}, a tub with a perforated cover for holding slow
matches for firing cannon, esp. on board ship. The tub
contains a little water in the bottom, for extinguishing
sparks from the lighted matches.

{Quick match}, threads of cotton or cotton wick soaked in a
solution of gunpowder mixed with gum arabic and boiling
water and afterwards strewed over with mealed powder. It
burns at the rate of one yard in thirteen seconds, and is
used as priming for heavy mortars, fireworks, etc.

{Slow match}, slightly twisted hempen rope soaked in a
solution of limewater and saltpeter or washed in a lye of
water and wood ashes. It burns at the rate of four or five
inches an hour, and is used for firing cannon, fireworks,
etc.
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Match \Match\, v. i.
1. To be united in marriage; to mate.
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I hold it a sin to match in my kindred. --Shak.
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Let tigers match with hinds, and wolves with sheep.
--Dryden.
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2. To be of equal, or similar, size, figure, color, or
quality; to tally; to suit; to correspond; as, these vases
match.
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Match \Match\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Matched}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Matching}.]
1. To be a mate or match for; to be able to complete with; to
rival successfully; to equal.
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No settled senses of the world can match
The pleasure of that madness. --Shak.
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2. To furnish with its match; to bring a match, or equal,
against; to show an equal competitor to; to set something
in competition with, or in opposition to, as equal.
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No history or antiquity can matchis policies and his
conduct. --South.
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3. To oppose as equal; to contend successfully against.
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Eternal might
To match with their inventions they presumed
So easy, and of his thunder made a scorn. --Milton.
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4. To make or procure the equal of, or that which is exactly
similar to, or corresponds with; as, to match a vase or a
horse; to match cloth. "Matching of patterns and colors."
--Swift.
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5. To make equal, proportionate, or suitable; to adapt, fit,
or suit (one thing to another).
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Let poets match their subject to their strength.
--Roscommon.
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6. To marry; to give in marriage.
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A senator of Rome survived,
Would not have matched his daughter with a king.
--Addison.
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7. To fit together, or make suitable for fitting together;
specifically, to furnish with a tongue and a groove, at
the edges; as, to match boards.
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{Matching machine}, a planing machine for forming a tongue or
a groove on the edge of a board.
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Consolation game \Con`so*la"tion game\, match \match\, pot
\pot\, race \race\, etc.
A game, match, etc., open only to losers in early stages of
contests.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]