matter

Etymology

From Middle English matere, mater, from Anglo-Norman matere, materie, from Old French materie, matiere, from Latin materia (“wood”), from mater (“mother”), in which case cognate with Old Armenian մայր (mayr, “cedar”) and մայրի (mayri, “forest”). More recently, referred to Proto-Indo-European *dem-. Doublet of Madeira and mother. Displaced Middle English andweorc, andwork (“material, matter”), from Old English andweorc (“matter, substance, material”)), Old English intinga (“matter, affair, business”).

noun

1. (uncountable) Material; substance.
   1. (physics) The basic structural component of the universe, usually having mass and volume.
   2. (physics) Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles.
   3. A kind of substance.
      vegetable matter
   4. Printed material, especially in books or magazines.
      He always took some reading matter with him on the plane.
   5. (philosophy) Aristotelian: undeveloped potentiality subject to change and development; formlessness. Matter receives form, and becomes substance">substance.
2. An affair, condition, or subject, especially one of concern or (especially when preceded by the) one that is problematic.
   Is much the matter with the old plan?
   Something is the matter with him.
   state matters
   The matter of whether the world needs a fourth Ice Age movie pales beside the question of why there were three before it, but Continental Drift feels less like an extension of a theatrical franchise than an episode of a middling TV cartoon, lolling around on territory that’s already been settled. 12 July 2012, Sam Adams, “Ice Age: Continental Drift”, in AV Club
3. An approximate amount or extent.
   I stayed for a matter of months.
4. (obsolete) Essence; pith; embodiment.
   He is the matter of virtue. 1611, Ben Jonson, Oberon, the Faery Prince
5. (obsolete) (The) inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing.
6. (dated, medicine) Pus.

verb

1. (intransitive, stative) To be important.
   The only thing that matters to Jim is being rich.
   Sorry for pouring ketchup on your clean white shirt! - Oh, don't worry, it does not matter.
   Despite further attempts by Agbonlahor and Young, however, they could not find the goal to reward their endeavour. It mattered little as Newcastle's challenge faded and Villa began to dominate the game in midfield, and it was only Barton's continued sense of injustice that offered the visitors any spark in a tame contest. April 10, 2011, Alistair Magowan, “Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport
2. (transitive, in negative constructions, now England regional, Caribbean) To care about, to mind; to find important.
   Besides, if it had been out of doors I had not mattered it so much; but with my own servant, in my own house, under my own roof […] , Folio Society 1973, p.47
3. (intransitive, medicine, archaic) To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.