Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
match 1 S2 W2 / mætʃ / noun
1 game [ countable ] especially British English an organized sports event between two teams or people :
It’s our last match of the season.
cricket/football/tennis etc match
They’re preparing for a big (= important ) match tomorrow.
match against/between/with
the match between Nigeria and Ireland
home/away match (= a match played at a team’s own sports ground, or at a different ground )
Good teams win their home matches.
McClaire’s goal earned him the title of man of the match (= the person in a team who plays best ) .
2 fire [ countable ] a small wooden or paper stick with a special substance at the top, that you use to light a fire, cigarette etc :
a box of matches
Don’t let your children play with matches.
strike/light a match (= rub a match against a surface to produce a flame )
Peg struck a match and lit the candle.
I tore up the letter and put a match to it (= made it burn, using a match ) .
3 colours/patterns [ singular ] something that is the same colour or pattern as something else, or looks attractive with it match for
That shirt’s a perfect match for your blue skirt.
4 good opponent [ singular ] someone who is much stronger, cleverer etc than their opponent :
Carlos was no match for the champion.
This time you’ve met your match , Adam Burns! I’m not giving up without a fight!
Guerrilla tactics proved more than a match for the Soviet military machine.
5 shouting match ( also slanging match British English ) a loud angry argument in which two people insult each other :
The meeting degenerated into a shouting match.
6 marriage [ singular ] a marriage or two people who are married :
They’re a perfect match .
a match made in heaven (= a marriage of two people who are exactly right for each other )
Claire made a good match (= married someone suitable ) .
7 suitability [ singular ] a situation in which something is suitable for something else, so that the two things work together successfully match between
We need to establish a match between students’ needs and teaching methods.
→ mix and match at mix 1 ( 6 )
COLLOCATIONS
verbs
go to a match I love going to football matches.
watch a match I watched the match on TV.
play a match We played the match in heavy rain.
lose a match They lost the match, despite playing very well.
win a match Do you think we'll win our next match?
draw a match (= finish with the score even ) United have drawn their last two matches.
have a match (= be scheduled to play a match ) Do we have a match on Sunday?
postpone a match (= arrange for it to happen at a later time ) Our first match was postponed because of bad weather.
miss a match (= not play in a match ) He missed two matches because of an ankle injury.
level the match (= make the score level ) Woods won the last two holes to level the match.
clinch the match (= to win a match by scoring a goal, hitting a winning ball etc ) Ronaldo clinched the match with a brilliant goal.
referee a match (= be the person on the field who makes sure players follow the rules ) The matches are refereed by the children's parents.
a match kicks off (= it starts ) The match kicks off at 3.30 pm.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + match
great/brilliant (= very good to watch ) We're sure it's going to be another great match.
exciting The match could not have been more exciting.
thrilling (= very exciting ) There were some thrilling matches at Wimbledon this year.
tough (= difficult ) At this stage of the competition, every match is tough.
close (= with each team playing equally well ) Germany won the match, although it was close.
an important/crucial match Luckily, all their players are fit for such an important match.
a big match (= an important match ) Are you going to watch the big match on TV?
a football/rugby/tennis etc match There was a rugby match going on on the school field.
a home match (= played at the place where a team usually practises ) They have won their last five home matches.
an away match (= played at the place where the opponent usually practises ) This is their last away match of the season.
a live match (= shown on TV as it happens ) There is a live match on TV every Wednesday evening.
a friendly match (= not part of a competition ) Fitness is still important in friendly matches.
a qualifying match (= to decide who plays in a competition ) They won all their qualifying matches.
a semi-final match (= between two of the last four teams left in a competition ) Spain beat Russia in their semi-final match last night.
phrase
man of the match (= the best player in a match ) Henri was named man of the match.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
match
I
1. mach
n.
1) a contest in which people or teams compete against each other in a particular sport
a boxing match
2) a person or thing able to contend with another as an equal in quality or strength
they were no match for the trained mercenaries
3) a person or thing that resembles or corresponds to another
the child's identical twin would be a perfect match for organ donation
■ Computing a string that fulfills the specified conditions of a computer search
■ a pair that corresponds or is very similar
the headdresses and bouquet were a perfect match
■ the fact or appearance of corresponding
stones of a perfect match and color
4) a person viewed in regard to their eligibility for marriage, esp. as regards class or wealth
he was an unsuitable match for any of their girls
■ a marriage
a dynastic match
2.
v. [trans.]
1) correspond or cause to correspond in some essential respect; make or be harmonious
[trans.] we bought green and blue curtains to match the bedspread she matched her steps to his | [intrans.] the jacket and pants do not match | [as adj.] matching a set of matching coffee cups
■ team (someone or something) with someone or something else appropriate or harmonious
they matched suitably qualified applicants with institutions that had vacancies | she was trying to match the draperies to the couch
2) be equal to (something) in quality or strength
his anger matched her own
■ succeed in reaching or equaling (a standard or quality)
he tried to match her nonchalance
■ equalize (two coupled electrical impedances) so as to bring about the maximum transfer of power from one to the other
3) place (a person or group) in contest or competition with another
the big names were matched against nobodies | [as adj., with submodifier] matched evenly matched teams
•
- make a match
- meet one's match
- to match
Phrasal Verbs:
- match up to
- match someone with
Derivatives:
matchable adj.
Origin:
Old English gemæcca ‘mate, companion’; related to the base of make
II
n. a short, thin piece of wood or cardboard used to light a fire, being tipped with a composition that ignites when rubbed against a rough surface
■ historical a piece of wick or cord designed to burn at a uniform rate, used for firing a cannon or lighting gunpowder
- put a match to
Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘wick of a candle’): from Old French meche, perhaps from Latin myxa ‘spout of a lamp’, later ‘lamp wick’
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
match
match (EQUAL) /mætʃ/
noun [S]
a person or thing which is equal to another person or thing in strength, speed or quality
match /mætʃ/
verb [T]
to be as good as someone or something else:
It would be difficult to match the service this airline gives its customers.
x
match (SUITABLE) /mætʃ/
noun [S]
1 something which is similar to or combines well with something else:
The curtains look great - they're a perfect match for the sofa.
2 OLD-FASHIONED If two people who are having a relationship are a good match, they are very suitable for each other:
Theirs is a match made in heaven (= a very good relationship).