In addition to
Webster 1913's two definitions, a
matte is also a mask used by by the
film and
animation industry.
There are two basic kinds of mattes in animation:
Female Matte
A female matte or mask has a character, object or scene photographed over a black background.
Male Matte
The male matte or mask is a silhouette of a character or object shot on a white background.
Additionally, mattes in film can have a complete panoramic background for a scene. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, mattes were used extensively to make the characters appear to be standing on an alien world. The foreground with the characters was filmed with a large green screen behind them. The green around the characters was replaced later with a matte painting of the alien landscape.