matte

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Variant of mat².
2. adj. Variant of mat².
3. n. A mixture of a metal with its sulfides, produced by smelting the sulfide ores of copper, lead, or nickel.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In metallurgy, a product of the smelting of sulphureted ores, obtained in the process which next follows the roasting. The object of this process is to remove the oxid of iron present in the roasted ore, by causing it to combine with silica, with which it forms a fusible slag. Also called regulus and coarse metal.

Wiktionary

1. n. A decorative border around a picture
2. n. A background, often painted or created with computers
3. adj. dull, not reflective of light

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A partly reduced copper sulphide, obtained by alternately roasting and melting copper ore in separating the metal from associated iron ores, and called coarse metal, fine metal, etc., according to the grade of fineness. On the exterior it is dark brown or black, but on a fresh surface is yellow or bronzy in color.
2. n. A dead or dull finish, as in gilding where the gold leaf is not burnished, or in painting where the surface is purposely deprived of gloss.
3. adj. Having a dull, lusterless surface finish; opposed to glossy or polished.

WordNet 3.0

1. adj. not reflecting light; not glossy
2. n. the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
3. n. a mixture of sulfides that forms when sulfide metal ores are smelted
4. v. change texture so as to become matted and felt-like