matte

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

matte, n. [F. matte; cf. F. mat, masc., matte, fem., faint, dull, dim; -- said of metals. See Mate checkmate.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

matte, a. 

 Having a dull, lusterless surface finish; opposed to glossy or polished; as, a matte photograph; a proof coin with matte figures on a polished field.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

matte, n. an impure product of the smelting of sulphide ores, esp. those of copper or nickel.

matte, n. Cinematog. a mask to obscure part of an image and allow another image to be superimposed, giving a combined effect.

Etymology

F

THESAURUS

matte

Photostat, Xerox, Xerox copy, blowup, blueprint, contact printing, cyanotype, enlargement, glossy, hologram, lantern slide, microcopy, microprint, photocopy, photogravure, photostatic copy, positive, print, projection printing, semi-matte, slide, transparency