Boy vs. Mate — What's the Difference?

A boy is a young male human. The term is usually used for a child or an adolescent.

One of a matched pair

A male child.

A spouse or romantic partner.

A son

Either of a pair of birds or other animals that associate in order to propagate.

Often Offensive A man, especially a young man.

Either of a pair of animals brought together for breeding.

(Informal) A man socializing in a group of men

Either of a pair of plants, fungi, or other organisms that engage in sexual reproduction or conjugation with each other.

(Offensive) A male servant or employee.

A person with whom one is in close association; an associate.

Used to express mild astonishment, elation, or disgust

Chiefly British A good friend or companion.

A young male.

A person with whom one shares living quarters. Often used in combination

(particularly) A male child or adolescent, as distinguished from infants or adults.

A deck officer on a merchant ship ranking next below the master.

(diminutive) A son of any age.

A US Navy petty officer who is an assistant to a warrant officer.

A male of any age, particularly one rather younger than the speaker.

A checkmate.

(obsolete) A male of low station, (especially as pejorative) a worthless male, a wretch; a mean and dishonest male, a knave.

An evergreen shrub or small tree (Ilex paraguariensis) of South America, widely cultivated for its leaves, which are used to prepare a tealike beverage.

A male servant, slave, assistant, or employee, particularly:

A tealike beverage, popular in South America, made from the dried leaves of this plant.Also called Paraguay tea, yerba mate.

A younger such worker.

An oval or rounded container or cup, traditionally made from a hollow calabash, in which this tea is prepared and served.

A non-white male servant regardless of age, particularly as a form of address.

To join closely or combine

(obsolete) A male camp follower.

To cause to be united in marriage or a romantic sexual relationship.

Any non-white male, regardless of age.

To cause (organisms) to breed or bring (organisms) into close proximity for breeding.

A male animal, especially, in affectionate address, a male dog.

To become joined in marriage or a romantic sexual relationship.

A former low rank of various armed services; a holder of this rank.

To be paired for reproducing; breed.

Heroin.

To engage in sexual reproduction or conjugation.

A male (tree, gene, etc).

To checkmate or achieve a checkmate.

Exclamation of surprise, pleasure or longing.

A fellow, comrade, colleague, partner or someone with whom something is shared, e.g. shipmate, classmate.

(transitive) To act as a boy in allusion to the former practice of boys acting women's parts on the stage.

(especially of a non-human animal) A breeding partner.

A male child, from birth to the age of puberty; a lad; hence, a son.

A friend, usually of the same sex.

In various countries, a male servant, laborer, or slave of a native or inferior race; also, any man of such a race; - considered derogatory by those so called, and now seldom used.

Friendly term of address to a stranger, usually male, of similar age.

To act as a boy; - in allusion to the former practice of boys acting women's parts on the stage.

(nautical) In naval ranks, a non-commissioned officer or his subordinate (e.g. Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate, Sailmaker's Mate, etc).

A youthful male person;

(nautical) A ship's officer, subordinate to the master on a commercial ship.

A friendly informal reference to a grown man;

(nautical) A first mate.

A male human offspring;

A technical assistant in certain trades (e.g. gasfitter's mate, plumber's mate); sometimes an apprentice.

(ethnic slur) offensive term for Black man;

The other member of a matched pair of objects.

A suitable companion; a match; an equal.

(chess) checkmate

Senseid|en|drink}} {{alternative spelling of maté, an aromatic tea-like drink prepared from the holly yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis).

The abovementioned plant; the leaves and shoots used for the tea

(intransitive) To match, fit together without space between.

(intransitive) To copulate.

(intransitive) To pair in order to raise offspring.

(transitive) To arrange in matched pairs.

(transitive) To introduce (animals) together for the purpose of breeding.

To copulate with.

(transitive) To marry; to match (a person).

To match oneself against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.

(transitive) To fit (objects) together without space between.

(intransitive) To come together as companions, comrades, partners, etc.

To move (a space shuttle orbiter) onto the back of an aircraft that can carry it.

(chess) checkmate

(obsolete) To confuse; to confound.

The Paraguay tea, being the dried leaf of the Brazilian holly (Ilex Paraguensis). The infusion has a pleasant odor, with an agreeable bitter taste, and is much used for tea in South America.

Same as Checkmate.

One who customarily associates with another; a companion; an associate; any object which is associated or combined with a similar object.

Hence, specifically, a husband or wife; and among the lower animals, one of a pair associated for propagation and the care of their young.

A suitable companion; a match; an equal.

An officer in a merchant vessel ranking next below the captain. If there are more than one bearing the title, they are called, respectively, first mate, second mate, third mate, etc. In the navy, a subordinate officer or assistant; as, master's mate; surgeon's mate.

See 2d Mat.

To confuse; to confound.

To checkmate.

To match; to marry.

To match one's self against; to oppose as equal; to compete with.

To breed; to bring (animals) together for the purpose of breeding; as, she mated a doberman with a German shepherd.

To join together; to fit together; to connect; to link; as, he mated a saw blade to a broom handle to cut inaccessible branches.

To be or become a mate or mates, especially in sexual companionship; as, some birds mate for life; this bird will not mate with that one.

The officer below the master on a commercial ship

A fellow member of a team;

The partner of an animal (especially a sexual partner);

A person's partner in marriage

An exact duplicate;

South American holly; leaves used in making a drink like tea

Informal term for a friend of the same sex

South American tea-like drink made from leaves of a South American holly called mate

A chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king

Make love;

Bring two objects, ideas, or people together;

Place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game;