marry

¹

[mar-ee, mer-ee]

verb (used with object)

married, marrying 

1. to take in marriage.

   After being together for five years, I finally asked her to marry me.

2. to perform the marriage ceremonies for (two people); join in wedlock.

   The minister married Susan and Ed.

3. to give in marriage; arrange the marriage of (often followed byoff ): They want to marry off all their children before selling their big home.

   Her father wants to marry her to his friend's son.

   They want to marry off all their children before selling their big home.

4. to unite intimately.

   Common economic interests marry the two countries.

5. to take as an intimate life partner by a formal exchange of promises in the manner of a traditional marriage ceremony.

6. to combine, connect, or join so as to make more efficient, attractive, or profitable: A recent merger marries two of the nation's largest corporations.

   The latest cameras marry automatic and manual features.

   A recent merger marries two of the nation's largest corporations.

7. Nautical.

   1. to lay together (the unlaid strands of two ropes) to be spliced.

   2. to seize (two ropes) together end to end for use as a single line.

   3. to seize (parallel ropes) together at intervals.

8. to cause (food, liquor, etc.) to blend with other ingredients.

   to marry malt whiskey with grain whiskey.

verb (used without object)

married, marrying 

1. to wed.

2. (of two or more foods, wines, etc.) to combine suitably or agreeably; blend.

   This wine and the strong cheese just don't marry.

marry

²

[mar-ee]

interjection

Archaic.

1. (used as an exclamation of surprise, astonishment, etc.)

marry

¹

/ ˈmærɪ /

verb

1. to take (someone as one's partner) in marriage

2. (tr) to join or give in marriage

3. (tr) to acquire (something) by marriage

   marry money

4. to unite closely or intimately

5. to fit together or align (two things); join

6. (tr) nautical

   1. to match up (the strands) of unlaid ropes before splicing

   2. to seize (two ropes) together at intervals along their lengths

marry

²

/ ˈmærɪ /

interjection

1. archaic,  an exclamation of surprise, anger, etc

Pronunciation Note

See Mary.

Other Word Forms

• marrier noun
• nonmarrying adjective
• unmarrying adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of marry¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English marien, from Old French marier, from Latin marītāre “to wed,” derivative of marītus “conjugal,” akin to mās “male (person)”

Origin of marry²

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English Mari(e), marie, mare , euphemistic variant of Mary (the Virgin)

Word History and Origins

Origin of marry¹

C13: from Old French marier, from Latin marītāre, from marītus married (man), perhaps from mās male

Origin of marry²

C14: euphemistic for the Virgin Mary

Example Sentences

“I want to have kids like yesterday,” said Castro, who isn’t married.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Be it moving in with partners, getting married, focusing on our careers or starting a family, friendships become "the easiest place for collateral damage" for both men and women explains author Dolly Alderton.

Read more on BBC

She never married and had two adopted children - a daughter, Dexter, and a son, Duke.

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Not long after that, he was married, and the couple had two children.

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But while he was there, he met an Irish woman - he says they fell in love and married.

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Related Words

• join 
• wed