Mary

[ mer-ee, mair-ee ]

noun

1. Also called Virgin Mary. the mother of Jesus.
2. the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Luke 10:38–42; John 11:1,2.
3. Mary, Queen of Scots.
4. Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, 1867–1953, Queen of England 1910–36 (wife of George V).
5. Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. a term used to refer to or address a gay man (sometimes used facetiously).
6. a female given name.

Mary

¹

/ ˈmɛərɪ /

noun

1. New Testament
   1. Saint Marythe Virgin Mary the mother of Jesus, believed to have conceived and borne him while still a virgin; she was married to Joseph (Matthew 1:18–25). Major feast days: Feb 2, Mar 25, May 31, Aug 15, Sept 8
   2. the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke 10:38–42; John 11:1–2)
2. obsolete.
   Maries an Aboriginal woman or girl

Mary

²

/ ˈmɛərɪ /

noun

1. original name Princess Mary of Teck. 1867–1953, queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1910–36) by marriage to George V

Sensitive Note

When referring to a gay man, the term Mary can be contemptuous. However, even in direct address, it is more often used for humorous effect, without intent to offend. In fact, Mary is a term of address sometimes adopted by gay people themselves.

Pronunciation Note

Pop Quiz: Do you pronounce Mary, marry, and merry all with slightly different vowels? If so, we venture to guess that you're from the northeastern part of the United States. In that region, Mary is pronounced with the same vowel as mare [mair], marry with the same vowel as mat [mat], and merry with the same vowel as met [met]. Many of these regional distinctions persist despite the equalizing effect of modern communications technology. But because patterns of sound can shift, linguists have documented how certain vowel sounds have merged over time to be pronounced the same, though still spelled differently. The majority of Americans use the merged vowel [e], as in met, for all three words. The three-way contrast can be heard in New York City and Boston. Philadelphia's three-way contrast includes an additional merger of Murray and merry, where both words are pronounced with the same vowel as fur [fur]. Two-way mergers are also common, notably Mary and merry (but not marry ) in the South. Other vowel mergers can be heard in regional dialects of American English, for example pin and pen, or cot and caught. Do you merge or not?

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mary¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English Marie, Old English Maria, from Late Latin, from Greek María, from Hebrew Miryām; Miriam ( def )

Example Sentences

He hits bottom at Rocamadour, a sanctuary in the Dordogne known as a citadel of faith devoted to Mary.

From The Daily Beast

Gillingham tells Mary that he wants to make their lives simpler, but it sounds a little like the dying of the light.

From The Daily Beast

Then again, this is not the high-spirited Mary we met in Season 1—indeed, none of the Crawleys are the same.

From The Daily Beast

Maybe Mary is being more realistic about a second marriage—but is it too much to ask for a little fire?

From The Daily Beast

Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon labels the show a “crass stunt” on a “bottom-feeding vortex of sadness network.”

From The Daily Beast

Mary is fair as the morning dew— Cheeks of roses and ribbons of blue!

From Project Gutenberg

But Mary had gone home after dressing her mistress, and the fat boy came back again more disturbed than before.

From Project Gutenberg

He ruminated a little with a most disturbed expression of face, and left the room in search of Mary.

From Project Gutenberg

By an Act passed in the 4th of William and Mary foreign buttons made of hair were forbidden to be imported.

From Project Gutenberg

Mary, apparently much relieved, hurried away with her message.

From Project Gutenberg