# maté

Pronunciation: say "MAT-ay" /ˈmæteɪ/

## Noun

1. A tea-like beverage made from the dried, crushed leaves of the South American plant Ilex paraguariensis.
   - Simple: A drink like tea, made from the dried leaves of a South American plant.
   - _She brought back a bag of maté from her trip to Argentina._
   - _Ranch hands sipped maté throughout the long day to stay alert._
2. A single serving of maté, the tea-like South American beverage.
   - Simple: One cup or serving of the maté drink.
   - _He offered her a maté as a sign of welcome._
   - _They shared several matés around the fire that night._
3. An evergreen South American tree, Ilex paraguariensis, that is farmed for its leaves.
   - Simple: An evergreen tree from South America, grown for its leaves.
   - _The maté thrives in the humid subtropical climate of the Paraná basin._
   - _Growers harvest the leaves of the maté once every couple of years._

## Noun

4. The vessel, traditionally a small calabash gourd, used to prepare and drink maté. *(rare)*
   - Simple: A small cup, often made from a dried shell, used to drink maté.
   - _He sipped from the maté through a metal straw called a bombilla._
   - _An ornate silver maté sat on the shelf as a family heirloom._

## Origin

Borrowed from Spanish "mate," which comes from the Quechua word "mati."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/mat%C3%A9 (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).