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. 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

Mary ‘Pat’ Thompson was receiving personal care at Rose Lodge Nursing home in Lisburn on 18 May 2020 when she was left sitting unattended on her bed.

From BBC

After a long, hot summer, Salon Senior Writer Mary Elizabeth Williams was very ready to make use of the omnipresent orange cans of pumpkin that began popping up in her supermarket come fall.

From Salon

Trump International claimed the new course - named after Trump's Lewis-born mother, Mary - would feature the “largest sand dunes in Scotland” and form “the greatest 36 holes in golf” alongside the original course, completed in 2012.

From BBC

Professor of anatomy Tom Gillingwater said: "We want to do the right thing by Isabella and Mary and, if appropriate, return them to their families so they can be laid to rest."

From BBC

“It wasn’t that they hated Trump,” said Mary Nichols, who chaired the California Air Resources Board at the time.

From Los Angeles Times