This is the 7038th most frequent French word.
matar
The word "matar" is Spanish, not French, and it means "to kill" in English.
In this sentence, 'matar' is used in the context of causing harm or neglect leading to the death of plants.
Il faut toujours prendre soin de ses plantes pour éviter de les mater.
One should always take care of one's plants to avoid killing them.
Here, 'matar' metaphorically refers to dominating or defeating an adversary in a competitive scenario.
Le boxeur a réussi à mater son adversaire et gagner le match.
The boxer managed to subdue his opponent and win the match.
In this usage, 'matar' conveys the idea of suppressing or calming down something intangible, like emotions.