Definitions of mate:

• noun:   South American tea-like drink made from leaves of a South American holly called mate
• noun:   the officer below the master on a commercial ship
• noun:   informal term for a friend of the same sex
• noun:   the partner of an animal (especially a sexual partner)

  Example: "He loved the mare and all her mates"

• noun:   South American holly; leaves used in making a drink like tea
• noun:   a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king
• noun:   an exact duplicate
• noun:   a fellow member of a team

  Example: "It was his first start against his former teammates"

• noun:   a person's partner in marriage
• verb:   place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game

  Example: "Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves"

• verb:   bring two objects, ideas, or people together
• verb:   make love

  Example: "Birds mate in the Spring"

• name:  A surname (very rare: popularity rank in the U.S.: #42942)