matar

Senses

1. 1.

   to kill

   to cause the death of a person or animal

2. 2.

   to turn off / to switch off

   to extinguish or deactivate a light, engine, or device

3. 3.

   to end / to finish

   to put an end to something (emotion, pain, hunger, thirst)

4. 4.

   to kill time

   to spend time doing something unproductive

Examples

• "O fazendeiro matou o boi para o abate."

  The farmer killed the ox for slaughter.

• "Apaga a luz, mata a luz quando sair do quarto."

  Turn off the light when you leave the room.

• "Comi uma maçã para matar a fome."

  I ate an apple to satisfy my hunger.

Usage

Very common verb in Brazilian Portuguese with multiple figurative uses. "Matar a fome/sede" (kill hunger/thirst) and "matar o tempo" (kill time) are frequent idioms. In colloquial speech, "mata" can mean to turn off/extinguish lights or devices.