1. A thick flat pad used as a floor covering
   "They placed a welcome mat at the entrance"
    
2. Sports equipment consisting of a piece of thick padding on the floor for gymnastic sports
   "The gymnast performed her floor routine on the gym mat";
   - gym mat
    
3. A small pad of material that is used to protect surface from an object placed on it
   "She put a coaster mat under her coffee cup"
    
4. Mounting consisting of a border or background for a picture
   "The artist chose a neutral mat to frame the watercolour";
   - matting
    
5. A mass that is densely tangled or interwoven
   "a mat of weeds and grass"
    
6. The property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
   "The mat finish of the paint gave the walls a sophisticated look";
   - flatness, lusterlessness [N. Amer], lustrelessness [Brit, Cdn], matt, matte
    
7. A foundation (usually on soft ground) consisting of an extended layer of reinforced concrete
   "The skyscraper was built on a mat to distribute its weight evenly";
   - raft foundation, raft

1. Not reflecting light; not glossy
   "mat wall paint";
   - flat, matt, matte, matted

1. Twist together or entwine into a confusing mass
   "The wind matted her hair";
   - entangle, tangle, snarl
    
2. Change texture so as to become matted and felt-like
   "Her hair matted up after days without washing";
   - felt, felt up, mat up, matte up, matte

1. A master's degree in teaching
   - Master of Arts in Teaching

Sounds like: masks, masq, mat, matt, m

Derived forms: matting, matted, mats

See also: dull

Type of: base, change, distort, dullness, floor cover, floor covering, foot, foundation, fundament, groundwork, mass, master's degree, mounting, pad, sports equipment, substructure, twine, twist, understructure

Antonym: straighten out

Encyclopedia: Mat, Albania