Match

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /mæt͡ʃ/

Definitions

1. A competitive event between individuals or teams ; to be equal or similar in appearance, quality, or amount ; a person or thing that is an equal opponent or counterpart
2. An organized contest or sports game ; to correspond in characteristics or to suit something ; someone or something that measures up to or rivals another in ability or quality
3. A challenge or competition where rivals compete ; to have a close likeness or agreement with another thing ; an equal match in strength, skill, or ability

Etymology: The sporting sense is the youngest of several that share this word, and it is the one that came last. The oldest sense is a companion or equal. Old English "mæċċa" meant a mate, partner, or one suited to another, and in Middle English the word could also mean a spouse, and a verb form meant to marry or be paired with someone. The idea of two equals set against each other eventually grew into the idea of a contest between them. A different sense has an even stranger path. Middle English "macche" meant the wick of a candle, which came from Old French "mesche," from a Vulgar Latin form "micca," probably from Latin "myxa," meaning the nozzle or curved part of a lamp, and ultimately from Ancient Greek "múxa," lamp wick. That same wick sense is the ancestor of the word for a stick that bursts into flame when struck, the one used for lighting fires.

Synonyms: contest, game, competition, duel, pairing

Antonyms: disparity, inequality, mismatch, disagreement, disparateness