marry

¹ American  

[mar-ee, mer-ee] / ˈmær i, ˈmɛr i /

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.

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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 American  

[mar-ee] / ˈmær i /

interjection

Archaic.

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

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marry ¹ British  

/ 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

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marry ² British  

/ ˈmærɪ /

interjection

1. archaic an exclamation of surprise, anger, etc

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Pronunciation

See Mary.

Other Word Forms

• marrier noun
• nonmarrying adjective
• unmarrying adjective

Etymology

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)

Example Sentences

As someone who has been married nearly 30 years, I find that hard to believe.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of Gustav and Julia’s children become communist activists, leading shadowy lives on the run from the czarist police, while others are pillars of society, becoming lawyers or marrying doctors.

From The Wall Street Journal

He married his first wife, fellow CIA agent Nancy Segebarth, in 1969, before being sent to Turkey as a counterintelligence officer to recruit foreign agents.

From BBC

Eisenberger, who is married with two children, had a pair of hernias and put off surgery as long as he could.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I reached out to Mandy at some point after they got married and said, ‘Your husband is like my favorite songwriter going,’” he recalled.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• join
• wed