mating
noun
[ ˈmeɪtɪŋ ]
• the action of animals coming together to breed; copulation.
• "courtship and mating also occur on land"
mate
verb
• (of animals or birds) come together for breeding; copulate.
• "successful males may mate with many females"
Similar:
breed,
couple,
copulate,
copulation,
copulating,
coupling,
sexual intercourse,
intercourse,
sex,
procreation,
pairing,
breeding,
union,
coitus,
coition,
sexually active,
• connect or be connected mechanically.
• "the four-cylinder engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox"
Origin:
late Middle English: from Middle Low German māt(e ) ‘comrade’, of West Germanic origin; related to meat (the underlying concept being that of eating together).
mate
verb
• short for checkmate (verb).
Origin:
Middle English: the noun from Anglo-Norman French mat (from the phrase eschec mat ‘checkmate’); the verb from Anglo-Norman French mater ‘to checkmate’.
