Matchmaking

Alternative forms

 * match-making

Etymology
compound match + making

Noun

 * 1) an attempt to make two people romantically interested in each other, especially an attempt to set up a date between people or to arrange a marriage
 * 2) * 1851: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin
 * The marriage was highly approved of by Mrs. Shelby, who, with a little womanly complacency in match-making, felt pleased to unite her handsome favorite with one of her own class who seemed in every way suited to her;
 * 1) * 2001: The Gilmore Girls (TV, episode 1.18)
 * Patty, your timing is excellent. There's Claude over there. Want me to do some matchmaking?
 * 1) matchmaking (sense 1) as a habitual activity or as a profession
 * 2) * 1815: Jane Austen, Emma
 * I planned the match from that hour; and when such success has blessed me in this instance, dear papa, you cannot think that I shall leave off match-making.
 * 1)  a service aiming to bring together sellers and buyers or potential partners
 * 2) * 1971: Eunice L. Watson and Arthur Cope Emlem, Matchmaking in Neighborhood Day Care: A Descriptive Study of the Day Care Neighbor Service
 * ... there was evidence that they did provide information for day care matchmaking to the potential users and givers of care.

Verb
matchmaking


 * 1) * 1700: William Congreve, The Way of the World
 * Why, then, Foible's a bawd, an errant, rank match-making bawd.
 * 1) * 1876: Louisa May Alcott, Rose in Bloom
 * We are a couple of old fools to be matchmaking so soon ...
 * 1) * 2002: Alias (TV, episode 2.09)
 * Not to brag, but I'm kind of responsible for matchmaking you and Irina.
 * Not to brag, but I'm kind of responsible for matchmaking you and Irina.

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