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  • Mary Jane
    Mary Jane
    noun
    a small, round sponge cake, usually with a circular indentation on top, for topping with fruit, whipped cream, etc., and served as an individual portion.
  • mary jane
    mary jane
    noun
    a slang term for marijuana

Mary Jane

1 American  
[mair-ee jeyn] / ˈmɛər i ˈdʒeɪn /

noun

  1. a small, round sponge cake, usually with a circular indentation on top, for topping with fruit, whipped cream, etc., and served as an individual portion.


Trademark.
  1. Mary Janes, small bits of chocolate, candy, sugar, or the like, for sprinkling on ice cream; sprinkles.

  2. a brand of young girls' low-heeled shoe of patent leather having across the instep a single strap that fastens at the side.

Mary Jane 2 American  
[mair-ee jeyn] / ˈmɛər i ˌdʒeɪn /
Or maryjane

noun

Slang.
  1. marijuana. MJ


mary jane British  

noun

  1. a slang term for marijuana

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Mary Jane

First recorded in 1925–30; translation of Mexican Spanish marijuana, by the popular assumption—probably incorrect—that it is a compound of Spanish María and Juana

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“This was hugely consequential and very different from what has happened in previous rebalances because we got Apple, Microsoft, Amazon,” said Mary Jane Matts, director of large-cap equities at CS McKee.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 28, 2026

In December, Indonesia also took Mary Jane Veloso off death row and returned her to the Philippines.

From BBC Jun. 3, 2025

“It’s daily moral agony for her,” Mary Jane marvels.

From New York Times Apr. 23, 2024

Her look also included a small black handbag and chrome peep-toe Mary Jane flats.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 25, 2023

“It’s all right. I have a whole pack,” Mary Jane said.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

She had picked out her favorite mask — a blue one with white polka-dots — and a pair of mary jane shoes with cats on them for her first day.

From Washington Post Sep. 29, 2020

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