Tangled together in a dense mass, typically describing hair, fur, or fibers that have become knotted.
From 'mat' (Old English matte, from Late Latin matta meaning 'mat made of rushes') plus past participle ending -ed. The sense of tangled fibers comes from how mats are made by pressing and interweaving materials.
The transition of 'matted' from describing intentionally woven floor coverings to accidentally tangled hair illustrates how language captures both human craft and natural chaos. Interestingly, some animals deliberately create matted fur for protection, while humans almost universally see matted hair as undesirable.
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