A mat is a flat piece of material, usually made of fabric, rubber, plastic, or woven fibers, that lies on the floor or ground for a specific purpose. A doormat catches dirt from shoes before you enter a house. A yoga mat cushions your body during stretches and poses. Wrestling mats and gymnastics mats protect athletes when they fall or roll. In bathrooms, a bath mat keeps you from slipping on wet tile.

Mats serve different purposes depending on where they're used. Some protect the floor itself, like the mat under a desk chair that prevents wheels from scratching wood. Others protect people, like the thick mats that surround a trampoline. A placemat protects your dinner table from hot plates and spills.

The word also appears in wrestling terminology: when you pin an opponent with both shoulders touching the mat for several seconds, you win the match. People sometimes use “go to the mat” as an expression meaning to fight hard for something you believe in, taken from the image of wrestlers battling it out.

Mats are simple objects, but they solve real problems: they cushion, protect, grip, and mark boundaries for countless activities.