I
n.
affair
1) to pursue, take up a matter
2) to arrange; clear up, settle, straighten out; complicate; simplify matters
3) to give a matter (attention, thought) (we have given this matter considerable thought)
4) to not mince matters (she never minces matters) ('she always speaks candidly')
5) an important, pressing, serious; petty, trifling matter
6) no easy; laughing matter (it's no easy matter to find a house in this city = it's no easy matter finding a house in this city; being accused of assault is no laughing matter)
7) matters came to a head
8) a matter of (a matter of grave importance)
9) in matters of (in matters of finance)
10) (misc.) as a matter of fact ('really'); to take matters into one's own hands; the fact of the matter is that...; no matter ('it's not important'); a matter of record (legal); for that matter ('concerning that'); a matter of a few minutes; a matter of personal opinion; a matter of some urgency; a matter of life and death; the crux/heart of the matter
material
substance
11) printed; reading; subject matter
12) gaseous; liquid; organic; solid; vegetable matter
13) gray matter ('brains')
14) the front matter (of a book)
misc.
15) what's the matter with you.
II
v.
1) (D; intr.) to matter to (her financial status doesn't matter to us)
2) (L; to) it doesn't matter (to us) that we are not rich