matchmakingn.1
/ˈmatʃˌmeɪkɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈmætʃˌmeɪkɪŋ/ 1. The action or practice of scheming to bring about marriages or romantic relationships.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > match-making > [noun]
making1608
matchmakinga1627
flesh-brokerya1643
a1627 T. Middleton Women beware Women iii. ii, in 2 New Playes (1657) 150 Who was't told us lately Of a match making right, a marriage tender?
1638 T. Nabbes Covent Garden i. iii. 7 Hath so long practise in match-making made me politicke to contrive, and my conversation with your selfe and the rest of the Wits made me complementall, and doe you thinke I cannot facilitate your entrance to Mistris Dorothy?
1702 S. Centlivre Beau's Duel ii. ii Oh very well, Match making is her business.
1794 W. Godwin Caleb Williams 20 Unpardonably deficient in the sciences of anecdote and match-making.
1858 R. S. Surtees Ask Mamma ix. 31 As well try to restrain a cat from mousing as a woman from match-making.
1887 Poor Nellie (1888) 82 Perfect matchmaking requires experience and practice.
1942 M. Oliver & M. Benedetta Marriage Bureau 19 How much better it would be if there were an organization that could arrange the actual match-making and see that suitable people met each other.
1991 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 7 Mar. 55/2 April Abbott's Social Adventures is a thoughtful unpretentious matchmaking service for Chicagoland singles.
2. Sport. The action of arranging a sporting match or matches.
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > racing or race > horse racing > [noun] > arranging a match
matchmaking1812
1812 Sporting Mag. 40 282 Within fourteen days from the match-making he was backed to win.
1950 J. Dempsey Championship Fighting 21 A fist-fight is not preceded by matchmaking.
1975 N.Y. Times 26 Feb. 38/4 Mr. Parnassus took over the matchmaking department at the Olympic Auditorium and immediately lined up two championship cards.
1990 Tennis Oct. 5/2 (Great Getaways East) (advt.) Get involved in round robins and get a game through the match-making program.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
matchmakingn.2
/ˈmatʃˌmeɪkɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈmætʃˌmeɪkɪŋ/ The process or trade of making matches (match n.2 4).
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society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > material for igniting > [noun] > action or process of making matches
matchmaking1875
1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. II. 1410/1 Match-making Machine.
1892 Pall Mall Gaz. 16 May 7/1 Match-making has been the most successful of all the industries instituted in Japan in imitation of those existing abroad.
1898 Catholic Bk. Notes June 171 The recent shocking revelations with regard to the match-making and lead-glazing trades.
1964 S. Crawford Basic Engin. Processes i. 8 Needle files or Swiss files, small fine-cut files of various cross-sections, used for instrument work and in the match-making industry.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
matchmakingadj.
/ˈmatʃˌmeɪkɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈmætʃˌmeɪkɪŋ/ Given to matchmaking; that schemes to bring about marriages.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > match-making > [adjective]
matchmaking1700
1700 W. Congreve Way of World iii. i. 49 Foible's a Bawd, an Errant, Rank, Match-making Bawd.
1765 S. Foote Commissary i. 4 That canting, couzening, money-lending, match-making, pawnbroking ——.
1882 Ballou's Monthly Mag. Aug. 148/1 Mr. Jerry Stone was as responsive as the most match-making mamma could have desired.
1994 Sci. Amer. Feb. 10/2 Like matchmaking relatives, physicists have for many years been trying to marry superconductors with semiconductors.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1a1627
n.21875adj.1700