Ma"trix (mā"tr&ibreve;ks), n.; pl. Matrices (măt"r&ibreve;*sēz). [L., fr. mater mother. See Mother, and cf. Matrice.]

1. (Anat.) The womb.

All that openeth the matrix is mine.

2. Hence, that which gives form or origin to anything; as: (a) (Mech.) The cavity in which anything is formed, and which gives it shape; a die; a mold, as for the face of a type. (b) (Min.) The earthy or stony substance in which metallic ores or crystallized minerals are found; the gangue. (c) pl. (Dyeing) The five simple colors, black, white, blue, red, and yellow, of which all the rest are composed.

3. (Biol.) The lifeless portion of tissue, either animal or vegetable, situated between the cells; the intercellular substance.

4. (Math.) A rectangular arrangement of symbols in rows and columns. The symbols may express quantities or operations.

• (biology) The material or tissue in which more specialized structures are embedded.
  
• (biology) An extracellular matrix.
  
• (biology) Part of the mitochondrion.
  
• (biology) The medium in which bacteria are cultured.
  
• (mathematics) 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.
  
• (computing) A two-dimensional array.
  
• (geology) A geological matrix.
  
• (archaeology) The sediment surrounding and including the artifacts, features, and other materials at a site.
  
• (chemistry) (specifically in analytical chemistry) The environment from which a given sample is taken.
  
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• #connective tissue
  
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• #binder
  
  Dutch
• matrix (in mathematics)
  
  Latin
• dam (female animal kept for breeding)
  
• list, register
  

German
• (mathematics) matrix