Matter
King James Dictionary [1]
MAT'TER, n. L. materia Heb. to measure L. metior.
1. Substance excreted from living animal bodies that which is thrown our of discharged in a tumor,boil or abscess pus purulent substance collected in an abscess, the effect of suppuration more or less perfect as digested matter sanious matter. 2. Body substance extended that which is visible or tangible as earth, wood, stone, air, vapor, water. 3. In a more general and philosophic sense, the substance of which all bodies are composed the substratum of sensible qualities, though the parts composing the substratum may not be visible or tangible.
Matter is usually divided by philosophical writers into four kinds or classes solid, liquid aeriform, and imponderable. Solid substances are those whose parts firmly cohere and resist impression, as wood or stone liquids have free motion among their parts, and easily yield to impression, as water and wine. Aeriform substances are elastic fluids, called vapors and gases, as air and oxygen gas. The imponderable substances are destitute of weight, as light, caloric, electricity, and magnetism.
4. Subject thing treated that about which we write or speak that which employs thought or excites emotion as, this is matter of praise, of gratitude, or of astonishment.
Son of God, Savior of men, thy name
Shall be the copious matter of my song.
5. The very thing supposed or intended.
He grants the deluge to have come so very near the matter, that few escaped.
6. Affair business event thing course of things. Matters have succeeded well thus far observe how matters stand thus the matter rests at present thus the matter ended.
To help the matter,the alchimists call in many vanities from astrology.
Some young female seems to have carried matters so far, that she is ripe for asking advice.
7. Cause of any event, as of any disturbance, of a disease, or of a difficulty. When a moving machine stops suddenly, we ask, what is the matter? When a person is we ask, what is the matter? When a tumult or quarrel takes place, we ask, what is the matter? 8. Subject of complaint suit demand.
If the matter should be tried by duel between two champions--
Every great matter they shall bring to thee, but every small matter they shall judge-- Exodus 18
9. Import consequence importance moment.
A prophet some, and some a poet cry,
No matter which, so neither of them lie.
10. Space of time a portion of distance.
I have thoughts to tarry a small matter.
Away he goes, a matter of seven miles--
In these last senses,the use of matter is now vulgar.
Upon the matter, considering the whole taking all things into view. This phrase is now obsolete but in lieu of it, we sometimes use, upon the whole matter.
Waller, with Sir William Balfour, exceeded in horse, but were, upon the whole matter, equal in foot.
Matter of record, that which is recorded, or which may be proved by record.
MAT'TER, To be of importance to import used with it, this, that, or what. This matters not that matters not chiefly used in negative phrases as, what matters it?
It matters not how they are called, so we know who they are.
1. To maturate to form pus to collect, as matter in an abscess.
Each slight sore mattereth. Little used.
We now use maturate.
MAT'TER, To regard. Not used.
Webster's Dictionary [2]
(1): ( v. i.) To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.
(2): ( v. i.) To be of importance; to import; to signify.
(3): ( v. t.) To regard as important; to take account of; to care for.
(4): ( n.) Substance excreted from living animal bodies; that which is thrown out or discharged in a tumor, boil, or abscess; pus; purulent substance.
(5): ( n.) Affair worthy of account; thing of consequence; importance; significance; moment; - chiefly in the phrases what matter ? no matter, and the like.
(6): ( n.) Written manuscript, or anything to be set in type; copy; also, type set up and ready to be used, or which has been used, in printing.
(7): ( n.) That which is permanent, or is supposed to be given, and in or upon which changes are effected by psychological or physical processes and relations; - opposed to form.
(8): ( n.) That which one has to treat, or with which one has to do; concern; affair; business.
(9): ( n.) Amount; quantity; portion; space; - often indefinite.
(10): ( n.) Inducing cause or occasion, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing; difficulty; trouble.
(11): ( n.) That of which anything is composed; constituent substance; material; the material or substantial part of anything; the constituent elements of conception; that into which a notion may be analyzed; the essence; the pith; the embodiment.
(12): ( n.) That of which the sensible universe and all existent bodies are composed; anything which has extension, occupies space, or is perceptible by the senses; body; substance.
(13): ( n.) That with regard to, or about which, anything takes place or is done; the thing aimed at, treated of, or treated; subject of action, discussion, consideration, feeling, complaint, legal action, or the like; theme.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [3]
mat´ẽr : This word being a very general term may express various ideas. the Revised Version (British and American) therefore frequently changes the reading of the King James Version in order to state more definitely the meaning of the context (compare Exodus 24:14; 1 Samuel 16:18; 1 Kings 8:59; 2 Samuel 11:19; Esther 3:4; Psalm 35:20; Psalm 64:5; Proverbs 16:20; Proverbs 18:13 ). דּבר , dābhār , and the Greek λόγος , lógos , both meaning "word," are very frequently translated by "matter." ὔλη , húlē , "wood," is rendered "matter" in James 3:5 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) "how much wood is kindled"; compare Sirach 28:10). Job 32:18 translates literally, "words"; also Daniel 4:17 , "sentence." διαφέρω , diaphérō , "to carry in different places," "to differ," is rendered "to make matter" ( Galatians 2:6 ). The meaning is "it makes a difference," "it matters," "it is of importance."
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [4]
III. Has matter ever existed abstracted from those conditions of concrete Form in which we meet with it? The third and fourth of the forms of dualism just enumerated make their cosmogony depend on the distinction devised by Anaxagoras, and formulated by Aristotle, between matter and form. If matter be conceived as eternal, and yet a creation by a spiritual Being be in some sense admitted, this is necessary. If matter be believed to be itself the work of a Spirit, it is possible, but by no means necessary, still to believe that he first created matter, and then formed it. Such was, perhaps, the general view of the scholastic period in the widest sense of the term: the belief recognized absolute creation by God out of nothing, while it left a meaning for the Aristotelian distinction which was familiar. It seemed to derive direct support from the narrative of the creation in Genesis 1:2. But it is evident that the word ‘ "without form," in this passage, is not to be pressed in so strict a philosophical sense: if the meaning of the word were less general, it would still follow from the fact that the "formless" matter is already called (not the universe merely, but) "the earth." It therefore follows that the scriptural or Christian doctrine of creation admits, but does not require, the complication of this intermediate step. It probably is ignored by almost all modern thought on the subject: in the last age of scholasticism, Sir Thomas Browne still continued to assume it, and his critic Digly thought it needless. (See Creation).
