a beautiful wedding; a reception after the wedding. Nuptials is a formal and lofty word applied to the ceremony and attendant social events; it does not have emotional connotations but strongly implies surroundings characteristic of wealth, rank, pomp, and grandeur: royal nuptials.
mar'riage·a·ble (mar'i jə bəl), adj. suitable for marriage. —mar'riage·a·bil'i·ty, mar'riage·a·ble·ness, n.
mar'riage of conven'ience, a marriage for some advantage or expediency, esp. one for the sake of money or social position.
mar'riage por'tion, dowry.
mar·ried (mar'ēd), adj. 1. united in wedlock; wedded. 2. of or pertaining to marriage or married persons. —n. 3. Usually, marrieds. married people: Young marrieds are prime buyers of furniture. [ME]
mar·ron (mar'ən, mə rōn'; Fr. ma RÔN'), n. a chestnut, esp. as used in cookery: candied or preserved in syrup. [< F]
mar·rons gla·cés (Fr. ma RÔN' gla sā'), chestnuts glazed or coated with sugar eaten as a confection; candied chestnuts. [< F]
mar·row (mar'ō), n. 1. a soft, fatty, vascular tissue in the interior cavities of bones. 2. the inmost or essential part. 3. strength or vitality. [ME mar(o)we, OE mearg; c. D merg, G Mark, Icel mergr] —mar'row·ish, adj. —mar'row·less, adj. —mar'row·y, adj.
mar·row·bone (mar'ō bōn'), n. a bone containing edible marrow. [ME]
mar·row·fat (mar'ō fat'), n. a large-seeded variety of pea.
Mar·rue·cos (mär rwe'kôs), n. Spanish name of Morocco. mar·ry¹ (mar'ē), v., -ried, -ry·ing. —v.t. 1. to take as a husband or wife; take in marriage. 2. to perform the marriage ceremonies for (two people who wish to be husband and wife); join in wedlock. 3. to give in marriage (often fol. by off). 4. to unite intimately. 5. Naut. a. to lay together (the unlaid strands of two ropes) to be spliced. b. to seize (two ropes) together end to end for use as a single line. c. to seize (parallel ropes) together at intervals. —v.i. 6. to take a husband or wife; wed. [ME marie(n) < OF marie(r) < L maritāre to wed < marit(us) conjugal, akin to mās male (person)] —mar'ri·er, n.
mar·ry² (mar'ē), interj. Archaic. (used as an exclamation of surprise, astonishment, etc.) [euphemistic var. of MARY (the Virgin)]
Mar·ry·at (mar'ē ət), n. Frederick, 1792-1848, English naval officer and novelist.
Mars (märz), n. 1. the ancient Roman god of war, identified with the Greek god Ares. 2. Astron. the planet fourth in order from the sun, having a diameter of 4230 miles, a mean distance from the sun of 142,000,000 miles, a period of revolution of 686.9 days, and two satellites.
Mar·sa·la (mär sä'lə; It. mär sä'lä), n. 1. a seaport in W Sicily. 81,426 (1961). 2. a sweet, dark, fortified wine made near Marsala, or a similar wine made elsewhere.
marse (märs), n. Southern U.S. (used chiefly in representation of southern Negro speech) master. Also, massa.
Mar·seil·laise (mär/sə lāz', -sā ez'; Fr. mar se yez'), n. the French national anthem, written in 1792 by Rouget de Lisle.
mar·seilles (mär sälz'), n. a thick cotton fabric woven in figures or stripes with an embossed effect, chiefly for bedspreads and other coverings. [after MARSEILLES]
Mar·seilles (mär sä'; older mär sälz'), n. French, Mar·seille (mar se'yə), a seaport in SE France. 783,738 (1962).
marsh (märsh), n. a tract of low wet land, often treeless and periodically inundated. [ME mershe, OE mer(i)sc (c. G Marsch). See MERE², -ISH¹] —marsh'like', adj.
Marsh (märsh), n. Reginald, 1898-1954, U.S. painter and illustrator.
mar·shal (mär'shəl), n., v., -shaled, -shal·ing or (esp. Brit.) -shalled, -shal·ling. —n. 1. a military officer of the highest rank, as in the French and some other armies. Cf. field marshal. 2. an administrative officer of a U.S. judicial district who performs duties similar to those of a sheriff. 3. a court officer engaged chiefly in serving processes. 4. the police officer in some communities. 5. a higher officer of a royal household or court. 6. a person charged with the arrangement or regulation of ceremonies, parades, etc. —v.t. 7. to arrange in proper order; set out in an orderly manner; arrange clearly: to marshal the facts. 8. to array, as for battle. 9. to usher or lead. [ME, syncopated var. of mareschal < OF < Gmc; cf. OHG marahscalh groom = marah horse (see MARE¹) + scalh servant, c. OE scealc] —mar'shal·cy, mar'shal·ship', n. —mar'shal·er; esp. Brit., mar'shal·ler, n. —Syn. 7. order; convoke. See gather.
Mar·shall (mär'shəl), n. 1. George C(at·lett) (kat'lit), 1880-1959, U.S. general and statesman: Secretary of State 1947-49; Nobel peace prize 1953. 2. John, 1755-1835, U.S. jurist and statesman: Chief Justice of the U.S. 1801-35. 3. Thomas Riley, 1854-1925, vice president of the U.S. 1913-21. 4. Thur·good (thûr'good), born 1908, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court since 1967.
Mar'shall Is'lands, a group of 24 atolls in the N Pacific: now under U.S. trusteeship. 22,888 (1970); 74 sq. mi.
Mar'shall Plan'. See European Recovery Program.
Mar·shal·sea (mär'shəl sē'), n. Brit. Hist. 1. the court of the marshal of the royal household. 2. a debtors' prison in London, abolished 1842. [ME marchalsye. See MARSHAL, -CY]
marsh' el'der, U.S. any of various composite plants of the genus Iva, as I. frutescens, which grows in salt marshes.
marsh' gas', a gaseous decomposition product of organic matter, consisting primarily of methane.
marsh' hen', any of various rails or raillike birds.
marsh·land (märsh'land'), n. a region, area, district, etc., characterized by marshes, swamps, bogs, or the like. [ME mershland, OE merscland]
marsh' mal'low, 1. an Old World mallow, Althaea officinalis, having pink flowers, found in marshy places. 2. the rose mallow, Hibiscus Moscheutos. [ME marshmalue, OE merscmealwe]
marsh·mal·low (märsh'mel'ō, -mal'ō), n. 1. a sweetened paste or confection made from the root of the marsh mallow. 2. a similar confection containing gum arabic or gelatin, sugar, corn syrup, and flavoring. —marsh'mal'low·y, adj.
marsh' mar'igold, a yellow-flowered, ranunculaceous plant, Caltha palustris, growing in marshes and meadows; cowslip.
marsh·y (mär'shē), adj., marsh·i·er, marsh·i·est. 1. soft and wet, as a marsh; boggy. 2. pertaining to a marsh. 3. consisting of or constituting a marsh. [ME mershi] —marsh·i·ness, n.
mar·si·po·branch (mär'sə pō brāŋk'), adj. 1. belonging to the Marsipobranchii or Cyclostomata, a group or class of vertebrates comprising the cyclostomes. —n. 2. a marsipobranch fish. [back formation from NL Marsipobranchia a class of vertebrates < Gk mársipo(s) bag, pouch (see MARSUPIUM) + brānchia gills]
Mars·ton (mär'stən), n. John, c1575-1634, English dramatist and satirical poet.
Mars·ton Moor', a former moor in NE England, west of York: Cromwell's defeat of the Royalists 1644.
mar·su·pi·al (mär sōō'pē əl), adj. 1. pertaining to, resembling, or having a marsupium. 2. of or pertaining to the marsupials. —n. 3. any viviparous, nonplacental mammal of the order Marsupialia, comprising the opossums, kangaroos, wombats, etc., most of which have a marsupium containing the mammary glands and serving as a receptacle for the young. [< NL marsupiāl(is) pertaining to a pouch. See MARSUPIUM, -AL¹]
mar·su·pi·um (mär sōō'pē əm), n., pl. -pi·a (-pē ə). the pouch or fold of skin on the abdomen of a female marsupial. [< NL, var. of L marsuppium pouch, purse < Gk marsýpion, dim. of mársipos bag, pouch]
mart (märt), n. 1. marketplace; trading center; trade center. 2. Archaic. a fair. [late ME < MD, var. of markt MARKET]
Mar·ta·ban (mär'tə bän'), n. Gulf of, an inlet of the Bay of Bengal, in Burma.
Mar·tel'lo tow'er (mär tel'ō), Fort. a circular, tower-like fort with guns on the top. Also, martel'lo tow'er. Also called martel'lo, Martel'lo. [named after Cape Mortella, Corsica, where a tower of this kind was taken by British forces in 1794]
mar·ten (mär'tən, -tin), n., pl. -tens, (esp. collectively) -ten. 1. any of several slender, chiefly arboreal carnivores of the genus Martes, found in northern forests, having a long, glossy coat and bushy tail. 2. the fur of such an animal, generally a dark brown. [< MLG = mart marten (c. OE mearth) + -en -EN⁵; r. late ME martren < MF martrine marten fur, n. use of fem. of martrin pertaining to a marten = martre marten (< Gmc; cf. G Marder) + -in -IN¹]
Mar·tha (mär'thə), n. the sister of Mary and Lazarus. Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-44.
Mar'tha's Vine'yard, an island off SE Massachusetts: summer resort. 108¾ sq. mi.
Mar·tī (mär tē'), n. Jo·sé (hō se'), 1853-1895, Cuban patriot and writer.
mar·tial (mär'shəl), adj. 1. inclined or disposed to war; warlike; brave. 2. pertaining to or appropriate for war: martial music. 3. characteristic of or befitting a warrior: a martial stride. 4. pertaining to or connected with the army or navy. [ME < L Martiāl(is) of, belonging to Mars = Marti- (s. of Mars) + -ālis -AL¹] —mar'tial·ism, n. —mar'tial·ist, n. —mar'tial·ly, adv. —mar'tial·ness, n. —Syn. 2, 3. military, soldierly.
Mar·tial (mär'shəl), n. (Marcus Valerius Martialis) A.D. 43?-104?, Roman poet and epigrammatist, born in Spain.
mar' tial law', the law imposed upon an area by military forces when civil authority has broken down.
Mar·tian (mär'shən), adj. 1. pertaining to the planet Mars. —n. 2. a supposed inhabitant of the planet Mars. [< L Marti(us) of, belonging to Mars]
mar·tin (mär'tən, -tin), n. any of several swallows. Cf. purple martin. [named after St. MARTIN of Tours, supposedly because it migrates south at Martinmas or thereafter]
Mar·tin (mär'tən, -tin), n. 1. Glenn Luther, 1886-1955, U.S. airplane designer and manufacturer. 2. Homer Dodge, 1836-97, U.S. painter. 3. Joseph W(illiam) Jr., 1884-1968, U.S. political leader and publisher: Speaker of the House 1947-49, 1953-55. 4. Saint, A.D. 3167-397, French prelate: bishop of Tours 370?-397.
Martin I, Saint, died A.D. 655, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 649-655.
Martin II. See Marinus I.
Martin III. See Marinus II.
Martin IV, (Simon de Brie or Simon de Brion) c1210-85, French ecclesiastic: pope 1281-85.
Martin V, (Oddone Colonna) 1368-1431, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1417-31.
Mar·tin du Gard (mar taN' dy gar'), Ro·ger (rō-zhā'), 1881-1958, French novelist: Nobel prize 1937.
Mar·ti·neau (mär'ti nō', -tənō'), n. 1. Harriet, 1802-1876, English novelist and economist. 2. her brother, James, 1805-1900, English theologian and philosopher.
mar·ti·net (mär'tənet', mär'tənet'), n. a strict disciplinarian, esp. a military one. [named after General Jean Martinet (d. 1672), French inventor of a system of drill] —mar'ti·net·ish, adj. —mar'ti·net·ism, n.
mar·tin·gale (mär'tən gāl'), n. 1. Also called standing martingale. part of the tack or harness of a horse, consisting of a strap that fastens to the girth, passes between the forelegs and through a loop in the neckstrap or hame, and fastens to the noseband; used to steady or hold down the horse's head. 2. Also called running martingale. a similar device that divides at the chest into two branches, each ending in a ring through which the reins pass. 3. Naut. a. a stay from the end of a jib boom or spike bowsprit to some part of a martingale boom. b. See martingale boom. 4. any of a number of systems of gambling in which the stakes are doubled or otherwise raised after each loss. [< MF < ?]
Marten, Martes americana (Total length about 2½ ft.; tail 9 in.)