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 the formative cells or tissue of a fingernail, toenail, or tooth.
4. anatomy see ground substance.
5. geology the solid matter in which a fossil or crystal is embedded.
6. geology groundmass.
7. A mold or die.
8. the principal metal in an alloy, as the iron in steel.
9. A binding substance, as cement in concrete.
10. mathematics A rectangular array of numeric or algebraic quantities subject to mathematical operations.
11. something resembling such an array, as in the regular formation of elements into columns and rows.
12. computer science the network of intersections between input and output leads in a computer, functioning as an encoder or a decoder.
13. printing 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.
14. printing A metal plate used for casting typefaces.
15. an electroplated impression of a phonograph record used to make duplicate records.

1. the womb.
2. the material or tissue in which more specialized structures are embedded.
3. an extracellular matrix, the material or tissue between the cells of animals or plants.
4. part of the mitochondrion.
5. the medium in which bacteria are cultured.
6. A rectangular arrangement of numbers or terms having various uses such as transforming coordinates in geometry, solving systems of linear equations in linear algebra and representing graphs in graph theory.
7. A two-dimensional array.
8. A table of data.
9. A geological matrix, the outer material of a rock consisting of larger grains embedded in a material consisting of smaller ones.
10. the sediment surrounding and including the artifacts, features, and other materials at a site.
11. the environment from which a given sample is taken.

1. the womb.
2. that which gives form or origin to anything.
3. the cavity in which anything is formed, and which gives it shape; a die; a mold, as for the face of a type.
4. the earthy or stony substance in which metallic ores or crystallized minerals are found; the gangue.
5. the five simple colors, black, white, blue, red, and yellow, of which all the rest are composed.
6. the lifeless portion of tissue, either animal or vegetable, situated between the cells; the intercellular substance.
7. A rectangular arrangement of symbols in rows and columns. the symbols may express quantities or operations.

1. the womb; the uterus.
2. hence that which incloses anything, or gives origin to anything, like a womb.
3. in mathematics, a rectangular array of quantities, usually square: so called because considered as a mold or set of compartments into which a certain number of quantities can be put, the leaving of one of the spaces unoccupied being in effect to put zero there. :
4. a matrix with p columns and q rows. the types of two matrices are said to be complementary when p—p = q + q.

1. (mathematics) a rectangular array of quantities or expressions set out by rows and columns; treated as a single element and manipulated according to rules
2. mold used in the production of phonograph records, type, or other relief surface
3. the body substance in which tissue cells are embedded
4. an enclosure within which something originates or develops (from the latin for womb)
5. the formative tissue at the base of a nail
6. (geology) amass of fine-grained rock in which fossils, crystals, or gems are embedded