Congreve.
No small matter of British forces were commanded over sea the year
before.
Milton.
8. Substance excreted from living animal bodies; that which is thrown
out or discharged in a tumor, boil, or abscess; pus; purulent
substance.
9. (Metaph.) That which is permanent, or is supposed to be given, and
in or upon which changes are effected by psychological or physical
processes and relations; -- opposed to form. Mansel.
10. (Print.) Written manuscript, or anything to be set in type; copy;
also, type set up and ready to be used, or which has been used, in
printing.
Dead matter (Print.), type which has been used, or which is not to be
used, in printing, and is ready for distribution. -- Live matter
(Print.), type set up, but not yet printed from. -- Matter in bar,
Matter of fact. See under Bar, and Fact. -- Matter of record, anything
recorded. -- Upon the matter, or Upon the whole matter, considering the
whole; taking all things into view.
Waller, with Sir William Balfour, exceeded in horse, but were, upon
the whole matter, equal in foot.
Clarendon.
Mat"ter (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Mattered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mattering.] 1. To be of importance; to import; to signify.
It matters not how they were called.
Locke.
2. To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate. [R.] "Each slight
sore mattereth." Sir P. Sidney.
Mat"ter, v. t. To regard as important; to take account of; to care for.
[Obs.]
He did not matter cold nor hunger.
H. Brooke.
Mat"ter*less, a. 1. Not being, or having, matter; as, matterless
spirits. Davies (Wit's Pilgr. ).