Definition of: matrix

(mā′triks) noun plural ma·tri·ces (mā′trə·sēz, mat′rə-)
1. That which contains and gives shape or form to anything.
2. The womb.
3. Biol. Intercellular substance; hence, the formative cells from which a structure grows.
4. A mold in which anything is cast or shaped, or that which encloses like a mold.
5. Printing A papier–mâché, plaster, or other impression of a form, from which a plate for printing may be made.
6. Geol. The impression or mold of the exterior of a crystal or other mineral left in the containing rock when the object is removed, or the mass in which a fossil, gemstone, mineral, etc., is embedded.
7. Math. A rectangular array of symbols or terms enclosed between parentheses or double vertical bars to facilitate the study of relationships.
8. The material used as a filler between the fragments of a shrapnel projectile. [<L, womb, breeding animal <mater, matris mother]