matte
/mæt/ noun, adjective, verb
- noun (art, photography) A decorative border around a picture used to inset and center the contents of a frame. “The image is a perfect square of 8 cm (with white matte border the total dimensions are 14 cm tall by 11 cm wide).”
- noun (film) A background, often painted or created with computers “Matte painting is a tool that filmmakers can use to create a scene that is impossible to achieve with conventional cinematographic means.”
- noun (pyrometallurgy) The molten metal sulfide phases typically formed during smelting of copper, nickel, and other base metals.
- noun An instrument for producing a dull, lustreless surface.
- adjective (American spelling) Dull; not reflective of light. “Flat or matte paint allows a deep color expression on the walls while also hiding flaws that may be inherent on the painted surface.”
- verb (transitive) To produce a dull, lustreless surface on (metal).
Synonyms
mat matting passe-partout matt flat bland colourless dim dingy dull faint lackluster leaden muddy sad sober uncolorful unholiday wan flatness lusterlessness lustrelessness felt felt up mat up matt-up matte up matted
Antonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from French mat.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A partly reduced copper sulphide, obtained by alternately roasting and melting copper ore in separating the metal from associated iron ores, and called coarse metal, fine metal, etc., according to the grade of fineness. On the exterior it is dark brown or black, but on a fresh surface is yellow or bronzy in color.
- noun A dead or dull finish, as in gilding where the gold leaf is not burnished, or in painting where the surface is purposely deprived of gloss.
Etymology [F. matte; cf. F. mat, masc., matte, fem., faint, dull, dim; -- said of metals. See Mate checkmate.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “matte”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details