Online Etymology Dictionary

masterful: c.1300, "fond of being a master," from master + -ful. Sense evolved through "having capabilities to command" (c.1400) to "characterized by a master's skill" (1610s).
mastermind: 1720, "an outstanding intellect," from master + mind. Meaning "head of a criminal enterprise" is first attested 1872.
masterpiece: c.1600, from master + piece. A translation of Du. meesterstuk "work by which a craftsman attains the rank of master" (cf. Ger. Meisterstück).
mastery: early 13c., mesterie, "condition of being a master," also "superiority, victory;" from O.Fr. maistrie, from maistre (see master). Meaning "intellectual command" (of a topic, etc.) is from 1660s.
masthead: 1748, "top of a ship's mast" (the place for the display of flags), hence, from 1838, "top of a newspaper;" from mast (1) + head.
mastic: "resin obtained from certain trees," 1373, from O.Fr. mastic, from L.L. mastichum, from L. mastiche, from Gk. mastikhe, probably related to masasthai "to chew" (see mastication). The substance is used as a chewing gum in the East.
masticate: 1640s, from L.L. masticat-, pp. stem of masticare (see mastication). Related: Masticated; masticating.
mastication: 1560s, from L. masticationem (nom. masticatio), from masticare "to chew" (cf. O.Fr. maschier, Fr. mâcher), probably from Gk. mastikhan "to gnash the teeth," related to mastax "mouth, jaws," and masasthai "to chew," from PIE *menth- "to chew, mouth" (cf. L. mandere "to chew," Goth. munþs, O.E. muð "mouth").
mastiff: "large, powerful breed of dog," early 14c., from O.Fr. mastin or Prov. mastis, both from V.L. *mansuetinus "domesticated," from L. mansuetus "tame, gentle" (see mansuetude). Form influenced by O.Fr. mestif "mongrel."
mastodon: 1813, from Mod.L. genus name Mastodon (1806), coined by Fr. naturalist Georges Léopole Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert, Baron Cuvier (1769-1832) from Gk. mastos "breast" + odont- "tooth," so called from the nipple-like projections on the crowns of the extinct mammal's fossil molars.
mastoid: 1732, from Gk. mastoeides "resembling a breast," from mastos "breast" (see mastectomy) + -oeides "like," from eidos "form, shape" (see -oid).
masturbate: 1857, from L. masturbat-, pp. stem of masturbari (see masturbation). Related: Masturbated; masturbating; masturbator; masturbatory.
masturbation: 1766, from Mod.L. masturbationem, from L. masturbatus, pp. of masturbari. The long-standing speculation is that this is altered (probably by influence of turbare "to stir up") from *manstuprare, from manu, abl. of manus "hand" (see manual) + stuprare "defile" (oneself), from stuprum "defilement, dishonor," related to stupere "to be stunned, stupefied" (see stupid). But perhaps the first element represents an unattested *mazdo- "penis." An earlier technical word for this was Onanism (q.v.).
mat: O.E. matte, from L.L. matta "mat made of rushes" (4c.), probably from Punic or Phoenician (cf. Heb. mittah "bed, couch"). Meaning "piece of padded flooring used in gymnastics or wrestling" is attested from 1903.
Mata Hari: stage name taken by Margaretha Gertruida Zelle (1876-1917), from Malay mata "eye" + hari "day, dawn."
matador: 1674, from Sp. matador, lit. "killer," from matar "to kill or wound," probably from Arabic mata "he died," from Persian (see second element in checkmate).
match (1): "stick for striking fire," late 14c., "wick of a candle or lamp," from O.Fr. meiche "wick of a candle," from V.L. *micca/*miccia (cf. Catalan metxa, Sp. mecha, It. miccia), probably ult. from L. myxa, from Gk. myxa "lamp wick," originally "mucus," based on notion of wick dangling from the spout of a lamp like snot from a nostril. Meaning "piece of cord or splinter of wood soaked in sulphur, used for lighting fires, lamps, candles, etc." is from 1530. First used 1831 for the modern type of friction match, and competed with lucifer for much of 19c. as the name for this invention.
match (2): "one of a pair," O.E. mæcca, from gemæcca "companion, mate, wife, one suited to another," from P.Gmc. *gamakon "fitting well together" (cf. O.H.G. gimah "comfort, ease," M.H.G. gemach "comfortable, quiet"), from PIE base *mak-/*mag- "to fit" (see make (v.)). M.E. sense of "matching adversary, person able to contend with another" (c.1300) led to sporting meaning "contest," first attested 1545. Match-maker "marriage-broker" is attested from c.1639.
matchcoat: "fur-skinned mantle worn by Native Americans," 1642, originally matchco, probably a native word (cf. Ojibwa majigoode "petticoat, woman's dress"), altered by infl. of coat (n.).
matchless: "peerless," 1520s, from match (1) + -less.
matchlock: 1690s, from match (1) + lock (1) in the firearm sense (1540s) probably so called for its resemblance to a door-latching device.
mate (n.): "companion, associate, fellow, comrade," late 14c., from M.L.G. mate, gemate "one eating at the same table, messmate," from P.Gmc. *ga-maton "having food (*matiz) together (*ga-)," which is etymologically identical with companion (q.v.). Meaning "one of a wedded pair" is attested from 1540s. Used as a form of address by sailors, laborers, etc., since at least mid-15c. Meaning "officer on a merchant vessel is from late 15c. The verb, of animals, "to pair for the purpose of breeding" is first recorded c.1600. The verb in chess (early 14c.) is short for checkmate (q.v.) and is not related.
material: late 14c. (adj.) "pertaining to matter," a term in scholastic philosophy and theology, from L.L. materialis (adj.) "of or belonging to matter," from L. materia "matter, stuff, wood, timber" (see matter). The noun is attested from 1550s.
materialism: 1748, “philosophy that nothing exists except matter” (from Fr.); 1851 (in Hawthorne) as “a way of life based entirely on consumer goods.” From material + ism.
materialist: 1660s, in various philosophical and theological senses of from material (q.v.). Also cf. materialism.
materialistic: 1845, from materialist.
materiality: 1520s, from Mod.L. materialitas, from materialis (see material).
materialize: “appear in bodily form,” 1880, in spiritualism, from material + -ize. Related: Materialized.
materially: c.1500, from material.
materiel: 1814, from Fr. matériel "material," from O.Fr. materiel (adj.), from L. materialis "of matter," from materia "substance" (see matter). A later borrowing of the same word that became material.
maternal: late 15c., from O.Fr. maternel (14c.), from V.L. *maternalis, from L. maternus "maternal, of a mother," from mater "mother" (see mother).
maternity: 1611, "quality or condition of being a mother," from Fr. maternité "motherhood," from M.L. maternitatem (nom. maternitas), from L. maternus (see maternal). Used from 1893 in ref. to garments designed for pregnant women.
matey: 1833, dim. of mate (n.) in its male friend sense.
math: Amer.Eng. shortening of mathematics, 1890; the British preference, maths, is attested from 1911.
mathematic: late 14c. as singular, replaced by early 17c. by mathematics, from L. mathematica (pl.), from Gk. mathematike tekhne "mathematical science," fem. sing. of mathematikos (adj.) "relating to mathematics, scientific," from mathema (gen. mathematos) "science, knowledge, mathematical knowledge," related to manthanein "to learn," from PIE base *mn-/*men-/*mon- "to think, have one's mind aroused" (cf. Gk. menthere "to care," Lith. mandras "wide-awake," O.C.S. madru "wise, sage," Goth. mundonsis "to look at," Ger. munter "awake, lively").
mathematical: 1520s, from L. mathematicus (see mathematic).
mathematician: mid-15c., from Fr. mathématicien, from L. mathematicus (see mathematic).
mathematics: 1580s, plural of mathematic (q.v.). Originally denoting the mathematical sciences collectively, including geometry, astronomy, optics. See -ics.
maths: see math.
Matilda: fem. proper name, from Fr. Mathilde, of Gmc. origin, lit. "mighty in battle," cf. O.H.G. Mahthilda, from mahti "might, power" + hildi "battle."
matin: see matins.
matinee: 1848, from Fr. matinée (musicale), from matin "morning" (with a sense here of "daytime"), from O.Fr. matines (see matins).
matins: mid-13c., from O.Fr. matines, from L.L. matutinas (nom. matutinæ) "morning prayers," originally matutinas vigilias "morning watches," from L. matutinus "of or in the morning," associated with Matuta, Roman dawn goddess (see manana). The O.E. word was uht-sang, from uhte "daybreak."
matriarch: c.1600, from matri-, comb. form of L. mater (gen. matris) "mother" (see mother) + -arch, abstracted from patriarch.
matriarchy: formed in English 1885 from matriarch.
matricide: 1594, from Fr. matricide, from L. matricida "mother-killer," and matricidium "mother-killing," from mater "mother" + -cida "killer," and -cidium "a killing," from cadere "to slay" (see -cide).
matriculate (v.): 1570s, "to admit a student to a college by enrolling his name on the register," from M.L. *matriculare "to register," from L.L. matricula "public register," dim. of L. matrix (gen. matricis) "list, roll," also "sources, womb" (see matrix). The connection of senses in the Latin word seems to be via confusion of Gk. metra "womb" (from meter "mother") and an identical Gk. word meaning "register, lot." Evidently Latin matrix was used to translate both, though it originally shared meaning with only one. Related: Matriculated; matriculating; matriculation.
matrifocal: 1952, a term from sociology, from matri- (see matriarch) + focal.
matrilineal: 1904, from matri- (see matriarch) + lineal.
matrilocal: 1906, from matri- (see matriarch) + local.