15,000 words and phrases from more than 50 languages and their

203 mecate
mata hari [Mal], a female spy; a fatal woman; lit., eye of the day (the
sun).
maté [Sp], Argentinian tea.
matelassé [Fr], adj. quilted, or having a quilted pattern; as, matelassé
silk. —matelas, a quilted dress fabric; pad; cushion.
matelot [Fr], sailor; seaman.
matelote [Fr], a kind of fish stew flavored with wine: cookery.
mater [L], mother. —mater artium nécessitas, necessity is the mother
of the arts; necessity is the mother of invention. —Mater Dolorosa,
the sorrowing Mother; the Holy Mother sorrowing at the Cross.
materfamilias [L], mother of a family {or household).
materiam superabat opus [L], the workmanship was better than (or
surpassed) the material: Ovid.
matériel [Fr], material; supplies and equipment; equipment and munitions
of an army.
matois [Fr], adj. cunning; sly; n. cunning person; sly dog.
matre pulchra, filia pulchrior [L], a daughter more beautiful than her
beautiful mother: Horace.
mattinata [It], a morning song; aubade: music.
maturato opus est [L], there is need for haste: Livy.
matz [Russ; pi. materi], mother.
matzo [Heb & Yiddish; pi. matzos], ritual unleavened bread: Judaism.
mauvais [Fr; fern, mauvaise], bad; ill; wicked; mischievous; adverse.
—mauvais goût, bad taste. —mauvaise honte, false shame; diffidence;
bashfulness. —mauvaise plaisanterie, ill-timed jest. —mauvais livre,
dangerous or noxious book. —mauvais quart d'heure, bad quarter
of an hour; a brief but unpleasant experience. —mauvais sujet, lit.,
bad subject; a worthless scamp; ne'er-do-well; black sheep. —mauvaise
tête, hot-headed person. —mauvais ton, bad taste; bad style; ill
breeding; vulgarity.
mavin or maven [Yiddish fr. Heb], an expert; a connoisseur.
maxima debetur puero reverentia [L], the greatest respect is due a
child: Juvenal.
maximus in minimis [L], greatest in trifles; very great in trifling things.
maxixe [Pg], a Brazilian round dance, combining characteristics of the
two-step and the tango.
maya [Skr], the visible world regarded as illusory, hiding the unseen
reality; illusion; deceptive appearance: Hinduism.
mazagran [Fr], cold black coffee served in a glass.
mazel [Yiddish fr. Heb], luck. —mazel tov!, lit., good luck; congratulations!
mea culpa [L], my fault; by my fault.
mea virtute me involve [L], I wrap myself up in my virtue: Horace.
mecate [Mex Sp], a rope made of hair or of maguey fiber.