matting

English edit

matting (countable and uncountable, plural mattings)

Mats, a collection of ground coverings.
- 1846, Herman Melville, Typee:
  His departure oppressed me with melancholy, and, re-entering the dwelling, I threw myself almost in despair upon the matting of the floor.
- 1979 August, Graham Burtenshaw, Michael S. Welch, “O.V.S. Bulleid's SR loco-hauled coaches - 1”, in Railway World, page 398:
  The doorways had a transverse mat well with a 1½in thick floor mat. In service it was discovered that the matting absorbed moisture which eventually resulted in corrosion of the steel.
Coarse fabric, of the kind used to make mats.
- c. 1771, James Cook, First Voyage Round the World:
  ... the sails are of Matting and are made narrow at the head and Square at the foot,...
  Besides Cloth they [Tahitians] make several different sorts of matting, both better and finer than any we have in Europe; the stuff they make it on is the Produce of the Palm tree.
(art, photography) A dull surface, often used for surrounding pictures.
Synonyms: matte, mat, passe-partout

ground coverings

coarse fabric

surface used for surrounding pictures — see matte

matting