matrix

• matrice (obsolete)

From Middle English matris, matrice, matrix, from Old French matrice (“pregnant animal”), or from Latin mātrīx (“dam, womb”), from māter (“mother”).

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• IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪtɹɪks/, enPR: māʹtrĭks
• IPA^(key): /ˈmætɹɪks/, enPR: măʹtrĭks
• Rhymes: -eɪtɹɪks, -ætɹɪks

matrix (plural matrices or matrixes)

1. A table of data.
2. The cavity or mold in which anything is formed.
3. (biology) The material or tissue in which more specialized structures are embedded.
4. (biology) An extracellular matrix, the material or tissue between the cells of animals or plants.
5. (biology) Part of the mitochondrion.
6. (biology) The medium in which bacteria are cultured.
7. (slang, figurative) a term describing a controlled environment or situation in which people act or behave in ways that conform to roles pre-determined by a powerful person(s) who decides how the world is supposed to function (as if the world is but virtual reality and people but brains in a vat).

   The Matrix has attacked me

8. (mathematics) A rectangular arrangement of numbers or terms having various uses such as transforming coordinates in geometry, solving systems of linear equations in linear algebra and representing graphs in graph theory.
   • 1987 [1985], Roger A. Horn, Charles R. Johnson, Matrix Analysis, Cambridge University Press, 1990, Paperback Edition, page 464,

     Theorem (7.5.2) then says that every positive semidefinite matrix is a convex combination of matrices that lie on extreme rays.

   • 2003, Robert A. Liebler, Basic Matrix Algebra with Algorithms and Applications, CRC Press (Chapman & Hall/CRC), page 64,

     Check that the ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {A}}({\mathcal {D}})^{2}}$ in the example is itself the adjacency matrix of the indicated digraph:

   • 2007, Gerhard Kloos, Matrix Methods for Optical Layout, SPIE Press, page 25,

     The matrix describing the reflection at a plane mirror can be obtained by taking the matrix for reflection at a spherical reflector and letting the radius of the spherical mirror tend to infinity.

9. (computing) A two-dimensional array.
10. (electronics) A grid-like arrangement of electronic components, especially one intended for information coding, decoding or storage.
    • 1949, Proceedings of the Association of American Railroads:

      Any type of core or diode matrix used to derive the decoding of these codes would amount to a rather large volume of terminals for just the 17,500 terminals alone.

    • 1959, John Millar Carroll, Modern Transistor Circuits:

      The transistor matrix in the encoder supplies the sequential gates.

    • 1962, Burroughs Corporation, Digital Computer Principles:

      A transistor-diode matrix is composed of vertical and horizontal wires with a transistor at each intersection.

    • 1987, David Ardayfio, Fundamentals of Robotics:

      Robot controllers range in complexity from simple stepping switches through pneumatic logic sequencers, diode matrix boards, electronic sequencers, and microprocessors to minicomputers.

    • 2002, B. Somantathan Nair, Digital Electronics and Logic Design:

      Diode matrix is the most fundamental of all ROM structure.

11. (geology) A geological matrix.
12. (archaeology and paleontology) The sediment surrounding and including the artifacts, features, and other materials at a site.
13. (analytical chemistry) The environment from which a given sample is taken.
14. (printing, historical) In hot metal typesetting, a mold for casting a letter.
15. (printing, historical) In printmaking, the plate or block used, with ink, to hold the image that makes up the print.

    Synonym: printing form

16. (dyeing) The five simple colours (black, white, blue, red, and yellow) from which all the others are formed.
17. (material science) A binding agent of composite materials, e.g. resin in fibreglass.
18. (now rare) The womb.
    • 1650, Thomas Browne, “Enquiries into Vulgar”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], OCLC 152706203, 3rd book, page 122:

      upon conception the inward orifice of the matrix exactly closeth, so that it commonly admitteth nothing after […]

    • 1969, Vladimir Nabokov, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in Ada, or, Ardor: A Family Chronicle, Harmondsworth, London: Penguin Books, published 1970, →ISBN, part 2, page 269:

      In very rare cases, when the matrix just goes on pegging away automatically, the doctor can take advantage of that and ease out the second brat who then can be considered to be, say, three minutes younger […]

• (mathematics): array, table
• (table of data): array, grid, spreadsheet, table
• (computing): array

Latin matrix

• IPA^(key): [ˈmatrɪks]

matrix m

1. (biology) matrix

• See mater

• matrix in Akademický slovník cizích slov, 1995, at prirucka.ujc.cas.cz

matrix

1. (mathematics) matrix

Ultimately from Latin mātrīx. Cognate with matrijs. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmaːtrɪks/

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• Hyphenation: ma‧trix

matrix f (plural matrices or matrixen, diminutive matrixje n)

1. (mathematics) matrix (type of array)

• eenheidsmatrix
• identiteitsmatrix

From Proto-Italic *mātrīks, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂trih₂ks.

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmaː.triːks/, [ˈmäːt̪riːks̠]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈma.triks/, [ˈmäːt̪riks]

mātrīx f (genitive mātrīcis); third declension

1. uterus, womb
2. dam (non-human female animal kept for breeding)
3. source, origin
4. list, register

Third-declension noun.

• mātrīcālis
• mātrīcula

see māter

• “matrix”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• matrix in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• matrix in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette

matrix

1. Alternative form of matrice

matrix f (uncountable)

1. Matrix
   1. fictional machine system
   2. any illusory system