Meaning

noun a thick flat pad used as a floor covering

verb twist together or entwine into a confusing mass

adjective not reflecting light; not glossy

originInherited from Middle English matte (“mat”), from Old English meatte (“mat”), from Late Latin matta (“mat made of rushes”), from Punic or Phoenician (compare Hebrew מיטה \ מִטָּה (mitá, “bed, couch”)). Cognate with German Matte (“mat”), Danish måtte (“mat”), Faroese and Icelandic motta (“rug, mat”), Norwegian matte (“mat, rug”), Swedish matta (“carpet, rug, mat”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0