Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Fellowship; companionship.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun countable and uncountable, nautical The post of mate on a ship; a posting as mate.
  • noun countable, obsolete A type of contract between ships to cooperate and share the proceeds of an expedition.
  • noun uncountable Fellowship; companionship.
  • noun uncountable, Australia, New Zealand Friendship, particularly between men, such as develops in shared adversity; solidarity.
  • noun countable, zoology, psychology, anthropology A relationship based on mating.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From mate +‎ -ship. Cognate with Dutch maatschap ("partnership").

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Examples

  • Do we think that other countries don't exhibit the same characteristics towards each other that we call mateship?

    Latest News - Yahoo!7 News 2010

  • a national culture of "mateship" - not least because a woman has been brought in to shepherd the incumbent's politics, which were increasingly losing grip with the electorate.

    NPR Topics: News 2010

  • I can't help but wonder if the humor and exuberance for life, that permeates the Aussie culture, finds some of its roots in this convict past where "mateship" meant everything.

    Deborah Swiss: The First Female Flash Mob Deborah Swiss 2010

  • I can't help but wonder if the humor and exuberance for life, that permeates the Aussie culture, finds some of its roots in this convict past where "mateship" meant everything.

    Deborah Swiss: The First Female Flash Mob Deborah Swiss 2010

  • I just think it's interesting that the same interaction that has sparked so much talk about their running "mateship" is also one that contains unambiguous cues to dominance.

    Observations on Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton's PDA Field Notes 2008

  • I just think it's interesting that the same interaction that has sparked so much talk about their running "mateship" is also one that contains unambiguous cues to dominance.

    Archive 2008-02-01 Field Notes 2008

  • They spoke of five years of friendship - what John Howard would sickeningly dub "mateship", and what most female friends would simply call "love".

    feel the man-love! 2007

  • They spoke of five years of friendship - what John Howard would sickeningly dub "mateship", and what most female friends would simply call "love".

    Archive 2007-01-01 2007

  • He shares his wisdom on subjects such as mateship, self confidence, discipline and family values, and throughout the text endeavours to put across a message he believes is applicable to everybody.

    Wisdom from the Hardwood - The Austrian Economists 2007

  • And of course in the grand Aussie tradition of "mateship" *puke*, there was the wonderful company of Ms Lili, Mistress Corredina, Ms Snazzles sadly briefly, Madame Mu, Mr Duncan and Ms Sophie.

    Archive 2005-01-01 2005

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