Meaning

noun (mathematics) a rectangular array of quantities or expressions set out by rows and columns; treated as a single element and manipulated according to rules

noun (geology) amass of fine-grained rock in which fossils, crystals, or gems are embedded

noun an enclosure within which something originates or develops (from the Latin for womb)

originFrom Middle English matris, matrice, matrix, from Old French matrice (“pregnant animal”), or from Latin mātrīx (“dam, womb”), both ultimately from māter (“mother”). Doublet of mother from Indo-European ancestor. Slang usage coined with the 1999 sci-fi action film The Matrix.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0