overwordExplorer
ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

matte.

A decorative border around a picture used to inset and center the contents of a frame.

5 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/mæt/
  1. A decorative border around a picture used to inset and center the contents of a frame.

    The image is a perfect square of 8 cm (with white matte border the total dimensions are 14 cm tall by 11 cm wide).
  2. A background, often painted or created with computers

    Matte painting is a tool that filmmakers can use to create a scene that is impossible to achieve with conventional cinematographic means.
  3. The molten metal sulfide phases typically formed during smelting of copper, nickel, and other base metals.

  4. An instrument for producing a dull, lustreless surface.

Where this word comes from

Borrowed from French mat.

adj/mæt/
  1. Dull; not reflective of light.

    US
    Flat or matte paint allows a deep color expression on the walls while also hiding flaws that may be inherent on the painted surface.
    a matte lipstick
Where this word comes from

Borrowed from French mat.

verb/mæt/
  1. To produce a dull, lustreless surface on (metal).

    transitive
Where this word comes from

Borrowed from French mat.

FROM WORD TO NAME

Try it on your idea.

matte has 5 characters. Say it out loud, try it alongside a description of your project, and see whether its meaning fits what you want to create.

matte studiomatte workshello, matte

These are naming prompts. Meanings and pronunciation can vary; existing brand and domain uses have not been checked.

Explore the name generator

A word with a source.

Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.