ma·trix (m??tr?ks)n. pl. ma·tri·ces (m??tr?-s?z?, m?t?r?-) or ma·trix·es 1. A situation or surrounding substance within which something else originates, develops, or is contained: “Freedom of expression is the matrix, the indispensable condition, of nearly every form of freedom” (Benjamin N. Cardozo).2. The womb.3. Anatomy a. The formative cells or tissue of a specialized structure such as a hair, nail, claw, or tooth.b. See ground substance.4. Geology a. The solid matter in which a fossil or crystal is embedded.b. Groundmass.5. A mold or die.6. The principal metal in an alloy, as the iron in steel.7. A binding substance, as cement in concrete.8. a. Mathematics A rectangular array of numeric or algebraic quantities subject to mathematical operations.b. Something resembling such an array, as in the regular formation of elements into columns and rows.9. Computers The network of intersections between input and output leads in a computer, functioning as an encoder or a decoder.10. Printing a. A mold used in stereotyping and designed to receive positive impressions of type or illustrations from which metal plates can be cast. Also called mat2.b. A metal plate used for casting typefaces.11. An electroplated impression of a phonograph record used to make duplicate records.[Middle English matrice, from Old French, from Late Latin m?tr?x, m?tr?c-, from Latin, breeding-animal, from m?ter, m?tr-, mother; see m?ter- in Indo-European roots.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.matrix (?me?tr?ks; ?mæ-) n, pl matrices (?me?tr??si?z; ?mæ-) or matrixes1. a substance, situation, or environment in which something has its origin, takes form, or is enclosed2. (Anatomy) anatomy the thick tissue at the base of a nail from which a fingernail or toenail develops3. (Biology) the intercellular substance of bone, cartilage, connective tissue, etc4. (Geological Science) a. the rock material in which fossils, pebbles, etc, are embeddedb. the material in which a mineral is embedded; gangue5. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing a. a metal mould for casting typeb. a papier-mâché or plastic mould impressed from the forme and used for stereotyping. Sometimes shortened to: mat 6. (Electronics) (formerly) a mould used in the production of gramophone records. It is obtained by electrodeposition onto the master7. (Mechanical Engineering) a bed of perforated material placed beneath a workpiece in a press or stamping machine against which the punch operates8. (Metallurgy) metallurgy a. the shaped cathode used in electroformingb. the metal constituting the major part of an alloyc. the soft metal in a plain bearing in which the hard particles of surface metal are embedded9. (Chemistry) the main component of a composite material, such as the plastic in a fibre-reinforced plastic10. (Mathematics) maths a rectangular array of elements set out in rows and columns, used to facilitate the solution of problems, such as the transformation of coordinates. Usually indicated by parentheses: (). Compare determinant311. (Linguistics) linguistics the main clause of a complex sentence12. (Computer Science) computing a rectangular array of circuit elements usually used to generate one set of signals from another13. (Anatomy) obsolete the womb[C16: from Latin: womb, female animal used for breeding, from m?ter mother]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014ma?trix (?me? tr?ks, ?mæ-) n., pl. ma?tri?ces (?me? tr??siz, ?mæ-) ma?trix?es. 1. something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates. 2. a formative tissue, as the epithelium from which nails grow. 3. a. the intercellular substance of a tissue. b. ground substance (def. 1). 4. the fine-grained portion of a rock in which coarser crystals or rock fragments are embedded. 5. gangue. 6. a crystalline phase in an alloy in which other phases are embedded. 7. a mold for casting typefaces. 8. (in a press or stamping machine) a multiple die or perforated block on which the material to be formed is placed. 9. a rectangular array of numbers, algebraic symbols, or mathematical functions, esp. when such arrays are added and multiplied according to certain rules. 10. a similar rectangular array consisting of rows and columns of numbers, symbols, etc., used in displaying statistical variables, linguistic features, or other data. [1325?75;