mary

1. (religion) The mother of Jesus, believed in Christianity and Islam to have been a virgin at his birth, and believed by some Christians to have been born herself without sin, to have ascended to Heaven without death, and to act as a sympathetic intermediary for believers.Examples: "Now the birth of Jeſus Chriſt was on this wiſe: When as his mother Mary was eſpouſed to Joſeph (before they came together) ſhee was found with childe of the holy Ghoſt."Synonyms: advocatrix, Blessed Virgin, Blessed Virgin Mary, Christotokos, Coredemptrix, Deipara, Holy Mary, Holy Mother

2. (biblical) Any of several other women in the New Testament, notably:

3. (biblical) Any of several other women in the New Testament, notably:Examples: "And Jeſus anſwered, and ſaide vnto her, Martha, Martha, thou art carefull, and troubled about many things: But one thing is needefull, and Mary hath choſen that good part, which ſhall not bee taken away from her."

4. (Islam) The 19th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an, recounting the events leading up to the birth of Jesus.Synonyms: Maryam

5. (chiefly US, gay slang) A term of address for a male homosexual.Examples: "Note also that male homosexuals will call most anyone Bessie or Mary, e.g. ‘Oh, Bessie, you're a camp!’"; "In America in the 1950s,... Mary was often used in the vocative to address any fellow homosexual (‘Well, Mary...’)."Synonyms: nancy, nanUSslang

6. (Ireland, dated) A male middle name, given in honour of the Virgin Mary.Irelanddated