matrix

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A situation or surrounding substance within which something else originates, develops, or is contained.
• noun The womb.
• noun The formative cells or tissue of a specialized structure such as a hair, nail, claw, or tooth.
• noun The solid matter in which a fossil or crystal is embedded.
• noun Groundmass.
• noun A mold or die.
• noun The principal metal in an alloy, as the iron in steel.
• noun A binding substance, as cement in concrete.
• noun Mathematics A rectangular array of numeric or algebraic quantities subject to mathematical operations.
• noun Something resembling such an array, as in the regular formation of elements into columns and rows.
• noun Computers The network of intersections between input and output leads in a computer, functioning as an encoder or a decoder.
• noun A mold used in stereotyping and designed to receive positive impressions of type or illustrations from which metal plates can be cast.
• noun A metal plate used for casting typefaces.
• noun An electroplated impression of a phonograph record used to make duplicate records.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun The womb; the uterus.
• noun Hence That which incloses anything, or gives origin to anything, like a womb.
• noun 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. :
• noun a matrix with p columns and q rows. The types of two matrices are said to be complementary when p—p = q + q.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun (Anat.) The womb.
• noun That which gives form or origin to anything.
• noun (Mech.) The cavity in which anything is formed, and which gives it shape; a die; a mold, as for the face of a type.
• noun (Min.) The earthy or stony substance in which metallic ores or crystallized minerals are found; the gangue.
• noun (Dyeing) The five simple colors, black, white, blue, red, and yellow, of which all the rest are composed.
• noun (Biol.) The lifeless portion of tissue, either animal or vegetable, situated between the cells; the intercellular substance.
• noun (Math.) A rectangular arrangement of symbols in rows and columns. The symbols may express quantities or operations.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun The womb.
• noun biology The material or tissue in which more specialized structures are embedded.
• noun biology An extracellular matrix, the material or tissue between the cells of animals or plants.
• noun biology Part of the mitochondrion.
• noun biology The medium in which bacteria are cultured.
• noun 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.
• noun computing A two-dimensional array.
• noun A table of data.
• noun geology A geological matrix, the outer material of a rock consisting of larger grains embedded in a material consisting of smaller ones.
• noun archaeology The sediment surrounding and including the artifacts, features, and other materials at a site.
• noun analytical chemistry The environment from which a given sample is taken.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

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