matter */*/*/

matter */*/*/
I UK [ˈmætə(r)] / US [ˈmætər] noun
Word forms "matter":
singular matter plural matters
1) [countable] something that you are discussing, considering, or dealing with
a matter for something:

Teachers feel this is a matter for discussion with parents.

an extremely important matter

2) the matter used for talking about problems or bad situations
what's the matter:

You look sad. What's the matter?

What's the matter with the car?

I think there's something the matter with the printer.

there's nothing the matter (= there is no problem):

There's nothing the matter with you – you're just tired.

3) matters
[plural] a situation that someone is involved in

Her angry attitude didn't improve matters.

to make matters worse:

The parcel arrived late and, to make matters worse, it wasn't what we had ordered.

4) [uncountable] a particular type of substance

You can improve the soil by adding composted organic matter.

a) science the physical substance that everything in the world is made of
b) medical the yellow substance that a part of your body produces when it is infected
5) [singular] used for emphasizing how short a period of time is
matter of:

The school could close in a matter of a few weeks.

•

as a matter of routine/course — done as a habit or as the usual way of doing things

You should check all your work as a matter of course.

as a matter of urgency/priority — formal used for saying that something must be dealt with immediately, before dealing with anything else

The new law should be introduced as a matter of urgency.

the heart/crux/nub of the matter — the most important aspect of a situation

As usual, money was at the heart of the matter.

the little/small matter of something — humorous used for referring to something important that someone has forgotten or not done yet

There's still the small matter of my bonus to discuss.

a matter of opinion/taste — something that different people have different opinions about

Art is very much a matter of taste.

no matter how/where/what etc — used for saying that something is not important or will not have an effect

No matter how much you protect your children, they will still make mistakes.

No matter where I am, I'm always thinking of you.

See:
fact, interest I, laugh I, mind I, subject matter, truth

II UK [ˈmætə(r)] / US [ˈmætər] verb [intransitive]
Word forms "matter":
present tense I/you/we/they matter he/she/it matters present participle mattering past tense mattered past participle mattered
to be important

People need to realize that education matters.

something matters to someone:

Winning this award matters a lot to me.

•

English dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Matter — • Taking the term in its widest sense, matter signifies that out of which anything is made or composed Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Matter     Matter      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • matter — mat·ter n 1: a subject of consideration, disagreement, or litigation: as a: a legal case, dispute, or issue a matter within the court s jurisdiction often used in titles of legal proceedings matter of Doe see also in re b …   Law dictionary

  • Matter — Mat ter, n. [OE. matere, F. mati[ e]re, fr. L. materia; perh. akin to L. mater mother. Cf. {Mother}, {Madeira}, {Material}.] 1. That of which anything is composed; constituent substance; material; the material or substantial part of anything; the …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • matter — n 1 Matter, substance, material, stuff are comparable when they mean what goes into the makeup or forms the being of a thing whether physical or not. In the relevant sense matter basically denotes that of which all physical objects are made, but… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • matter — ► NOUN 1) physical substance or material in general, as distinct from mind and spirit; (in physics) that which occupies space and possesses mass. 2) an affair or situation under consideration; a topic. 3) (the matter) the reason for a problem. 4) …   English terms dictionary

  • matter — [mat′ər] n. [ME matiere < OFr < L materia, material, stuff, wood (< base of mater, MOTHER1), orig., the growing trunk of a tree] 1. what a thing is made of; constituent substance or material 2. what all (material) things are made of;… …   English World dictionary

  • Matter — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Bernhard Matter (1821–1854), Schweizer Krimineller, erwähnt in einem Lied von Mani Matter Franz Matter (1931–1999), Schweizer Schauspieler und Regisseur Herbert Matter (1907–1984), Schweizer Fotograf und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • matter — [n1] substance amount, being, body, constituents, corporeality, corporeity, element, entity, individual, material, materialness, object, phenomenon, physical world, protoplasm, quantity, stuff, substantiality, sum, thing; concepts 407,433,470 Ant …   New thesaurus

  • Matter — Mat ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Mattered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Mattering}.] 1. To be of importance; to import; to signify. [1913 Webster] It matters not how they were called. Locke. [1913 Webster] 2. To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Matter — Mat ter, v. t. To regard as important; to take account of; to care for. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] He did not matter cold nor hunger. H. Brooke. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Matter — Matter, Jacques, geb. 1791 zu Alteckendorf im Elsaß, wurde 1819 Professor der Geschichte in Strasburg, 1821 Gymnasialdirector u. Professor der Geschichte an der dortigen protestantischen Akademie, 1831 Inspector der Akademie u. 1832… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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