māteria and māteriēs ae, acc. am and em, f mater, stuff, matter, material, timber, substance: earum (navium) materiā ad reliquas reficiendas uti, Cs.: rerum, ex quā et in quā sunt omnia: materiam superabat opus, O.: si nihil valet materies: consumpserat omnem Materiam, means of subsistence, O.

—Fig., a subject, matter, subject-matter, topic, ground, theme: artis: bella ad iocandum: materies crescit mihi, the subject grows on me: aequa Viribus, suited to your powers, H.

—A cause, occasion, source, opportunity: gloriae suae: seditionis: ratio cui et fortuna ipsa prae{*} buit materiam, L.: criminandi, L.: materiam invidiae dare: iocorum, Iu.

—A resource, store: consumpserat omnem Materiam ficti, O.

—Naturai abilities, capacity, disposition: fac, fuisse in isto Catonis materiem: ingentis publice privatimque decoris, L.: ad cupiditatem, L.: materiā digna perire tuā, unfeeling disposition, O.