Definition of "matrix" []

• A situation or surrounding substance within which something else originates, develops, or is contained: "Freedom of expression is the matrix, the indispensable condition, of nearly every form of freedom” ( Benjamin N. Cardozo). (noun)
• The womb. (noun)
• Anatomy The formative cells or tissue of a fingernail, toenail, or tooth. (noun)
• Anatomy See ground substance. (noun)
• Geology The solid matter in which a fossil or crystal is embedded. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "According to the Oxford Dictionary, a matrix is a grid-like array of elements; a lattice."
• "They have got what they call a matrix display, where you choose any number of hotels and any number of flights."
• "In addition to its decentralized international sales staff, ONC plans to create what it calls "matrix teams" of employees focused on a particular foreign region, each with its own goals, profit-and-loss performance statements, and dedicated resources."