mateship noun5 •Fellowship; companionship. •(Australia, New-Zealand) Friendship, particularly between men, such as develops in shared adversity; solidarity.The bush is the crucible of Australian national identity because it is here that mateship, that linchpin of Australian national identity, was forged. — 2011 •The post of mate on a ship; a posting as mate. •A relationship based on mating.The mateships of the three last-named animals are solitary, though in the case of wolves, the separated members of various mateships gather in packs during the winter months. — 1942 •(no longer used) A type of contract between ships to cooperate and share the proceeds of an expedition.[…]as, for instance, the contract termed mateship, by which one whaling-ship meeting another forms a partnership in the proceeds of the expedition. — 1835 formsmateships
