matt

UK/mæt/US/mæt/

adjectiveB2Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speech — matte sits at #12,169neutral

Matt means having a flat surface with no shine. Matt emulsion, a matt finish, matt rather than gloss.

It hides small faults in a wall, which gloss shows up, and that is why ceilings are nearly always matt. It cannot be wiped as easily, so kitchens and bathrooms usually take something shinier.

Definitions of matt

1adjectivemattHaving a flat surface with no shine.B2
“Two coats of matt white covered the patch completely.”

matt is a finish.

Also accepted in games: matte

Where it comes from

French
mat
English
matte
English, today
matt

matte Borrowed from French mat.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

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