Love vs. Mate — What's the Difference?

Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love of a mother differs from the love of a spouse, which differs from the love of food.

One of a matched pair

A strong feeling of affection and concern toward another person, as that arising from kinship or close friendship.

A spouse or romantic partner.

A strong feeling of affection and concern for another person accompanied by sexual attraction.

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

A feeling of devotion or adoration toward God or a god.

Either of a pair of animals brought together for breeding.

A feeling of kindness or concern by God or a god toward humans.

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

Often Love(Christianity) Charity.

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

Sexual desire or activity

Chiefly British A good friend or companion.

An instance of being in love

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

A person for whom one has strong feelings of affection

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

Used as a term of endearment for such a person.

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

An intense emotional attachment to something, as to a pet or treasured object.

A checkmate.

An expression of one's affection

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 strong predilection or enthusiasm

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

The object of such an enthusiasm

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

Love(Mythology) Eros or Cupid.

To join closely or combine

(Sports) A score of zero, as in tennis.

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

To feel love for (a person)

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

To feel sexual love for (a person).

To become joined in marriage or a romantic sexual relationship.

To feel devotion to (God or a god).

To be paired for reproducing; breed.

To feel or show kindness or concern to (a person). Used of God or a god.

To engage in sexual reproduction or conjugation.

To have an intense emotional attachment to

To checkmate or achieve a checkmate.

To embrace or caress

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

To have sexual intercourse with.

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

To like or desire enthusiastically

A friend, usually of the same sex.

To thrive on; need

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

To feel love or sexual love for another.

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

(uncountable) A deep caring for the existence of another.

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

(uncountable) Strong affection.

(nautical) A first mate.

A profound and caring affection towards someone.

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

Affectionate, benevolent concern or care for other people or beings, and for their well-being.

The other member of a matched pair of objects.

A feeling of intense attraction towards someone.

A suitable companion; a match; an equal.

A deep or abiding liking for something; an enthusiasm for something.

(chess) checkmate

(countable) A person who is the object of romantic feelings; a darling, a sweetheart, a beloved.

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

A term of friendly address, regardless of feelings.

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

A thing, activity, etc. which is the object of one's deep liking or enthusiasm.

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

(euphemistic) Sexual desire; attachment based on sexual attraction.

(intransitive) To copulate.

(euphemistic) Sexual activity.

(intransitive) To pair in order to raise offspring.

An instance or episode of being in love; a love affair.

(transitive) To arrange in matched pairs.

Used as the closing, before the signature, of a letter, especially between good friends or family members, or by the young.

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

(obsolete) A thin silk material.

To copulate with.

A climbing plant, Clematis vitalba.

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

Zero, no score.

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

Nothing; no recompense.

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

To have a strong affection for (someone or something).

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

(transitive) To need, thrive on.

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

(transitive) To be strongly inclined towards something; an emphatic form of like.

(chess) checkmate

To care deeply about, to be dedicated to (someone or something).

(obsolete) To confuse; to confound.

(transitive) To derive delight from a fact or situation.

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.

To have sex with (perhaps from make love).

Same as Checkmate.

A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preëminent kindness or devotion to another; affection; tenderness; as, the love of brothers and sisters.

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

Especially, devoted attachment to, or tender or passionate affection for, one of the opposite sex.

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

Courtship; - chiefly in the phrase to make love, i. e., to court, to woo, to solicit union in marriage.

A suitable companion; a match; an equal.

Affection; kind feeling; friendship; strong liking or desire; fondness; good will; - opposed to hate; often with of and an object.

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.

Due gratitude and reverence to God.

See 2d Mat.

The object of affection; - often employed in endearing address; as, he held his love in his arms; his greatest love was reading.

To confuse; to confound.

Cupid, the god of love; sometimes, Venus.

To checkmate.

A thin silk stuff.

To match; to marry.

A climbing species of Clematis (Clematis Vitalba).

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

Nothing; no points scored on one side; - used in counting score at tennis, etc.

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

Sexual intercourse; - a euphemism.

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 have a feeling of love for; to regard with affection or good will; as, to love one's children and friends; to love one's country; to love one's God.

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.

To regard with passionate and devoted affection, as that of one sex for the other.

The officer below the master on a commercial ship

To take delight or pleasure in; to have a strong liking or desire for, or interest in; to be pleased with; to like; as, to love books; to love adventures.

A fellow member of a team;

To have the feeling of love; to be in love.

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

A strong positive emotion of regard and affection;

A person's partner in marriage

Any object of warm affection or devotion;

An exact duplicate;

A beloved person; used as terms of endearment

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

A deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction;

Informal term for a friend of the same sex

A score of zero in tennis or squash;

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

Sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people;

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

Have a great affection or liking for;

Make love;

Get pleasure from;

Bring two objects, ideas, or people together;

Be enamored or in love with;

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

Have sexual intercourse with;