To come together for breeding or reproduction; also can mean to checkmate an opponent in chess.
From Middle English 'mate,' possibly from Old Norse 'mati' meaning food or mate; developed multiple meanings including chess (checkmate) and animal reproduction.
In chess, 'checkmate' comes from Persian 'shah mat' meaning 'the king is dead'—so when you 'mate' someone, you're technically delivering a royal death sentence, which seems dramatic for a board game.
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