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match

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noun British English pronunciation: match /mætʃ/ 
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singularmatch
pluralmatches
  1. 1
    [countable] a small stick that produces a flame when rubbed against a rough surface, used for lighting a fire, cigarette etc

    a box of matches

    light/strike a match:

    He struck a match (=made it light) and lit the candles.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  matchThesaurus entry for this meaning of match
  2. 2
    [countable] a game in which players or teams compete against each other, especially in a sport. The usual American word is game

    a football match

    play a match:

    This is the third international match they’ve played in a week.

    win/lose a match:

    They lost the Scotland match in the last five minutes.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  matchThesaurus entry for this meaning of match
    1. a.
      in tennis, a competition consisting of a specific number of sets (=series of games)
      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  matchThesaurus entry for this meaning of match
  4. 4
    [countable] something that looks the same as something else

    It was difficult to get an exact match for the paint.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  matchThesaurus entry for this meaning of match

phrases

This is the British English definition of match. View American English definition of match.

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