Definition of "matrix" in English

noun

The cavity or mold in which anything is formed.
(now rare) The womb.
The metaphorical place where something is made, formed, or given birth.
(biology) The material or tissue in which more specialized structures are embedded.
(biology) An extracellular matrix, the material or tissue between the cells of animals or plants.
(biology) Part of the mitochondrion.
(biology) The medium in which bacteria are cultured.
A table of data.
(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.
- 2007, Gerhard Kloos, Matrix Methods for Optical Layout, SPIE Press, page 25, The matrix describing the reflection at a plane mirror can be obtained by taking the matrix for reflection at a spherical reflector and letting the radius of the spherical mirror tend to infinity.
(computing) A two-dimensional array.
(slang, figurative, science fiction) Alternative letter-case form of Matrix; a controlled environment or situation in which people behave in ways that conform to pre-determined roles.
(electronics) A grid-like arrangement of electronic components, especially one intended for information coding, decoding or storage.
(geology) A geological matrix.
(archaeology, paleontology) The sediment surrounding and including the artifacts, features, and other materials at a site.
(analytical chemistry) The environment from which a given sample is taken.
(printing, historical) In hot metal typesetting, a mold for casting a letter.
(printing, historical) In printmaking, the plate or block used, with ink, to hold the image that makes up the print.
(dyeing) The five simple colours (black, white, blue, red, and yellow) from which all the others are formed.
(material science) A binding agent of composite materials, e.g. resin in fibreglass.
(linguistics) Matrix clause is a clause that has another (subordinate) clause embedded within it.