Marriage

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: mar=riage

CIDE DICTIONARY

Marriage, n. [OE. mariage, F. mariage. See Marry, v. t.].

•  The act of marrying, or the state of being married; legal union of a man and a woman for life, as husband and wife; wedlock; matrimony.  [1913 Webster]

  "Marriage is honorable in all."  [1913 Webster]
•  The marriage vow or contract.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]
•  A feast made on the occasion of a marriage.  [1913 Webster]

  "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son."  [1913 Webster]
•  Any intimate or close union.  [1913 Webster]
•  In pinochle, bézique, and similar games at cards, the combination of a king and queen of the same suit. If of the trump suit, it is called a royal marriage.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Marriage brokage. (a) The business of bringing about marriages. (b) The payment made or demanded for the procurement of a marriage. -- Marriage favors, knots of white ribbons, or bunches of white flowers, worn at weddings. -- Marriage settlement (Law), a settlement of property in view, and in consideration, of marriage.

Syn. -- Matrimony; wedlock; wedding; nuptials.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Marriage, n.
1 the legal union of a man and a woman in order to live together and often to have children.
2 an act or ceremony establishing this union.
3 one particular union of this kind (by a previous marriage).
4 an intimate union (the marriage of true minds).
5 Cards the union of a king and queen of the same suit.

Idiom

by marriage as a result of a marriage (related by marriage). in marriage as husband or wife (give in marriage; take in marriage). marriage bureau an establishment arranging introductions between persons wishing to marry. marriage certificate a certificate certifying the completion of a marriage ceremony. marriage guidance counselling of couples who have problems in married life. marriage licence a licence to marry. marriage lines Brit. a marriage certificate. marriage of convenience a marriage concluded to achieve some practical purpose, esp. financial or political. marriage settlement an arrangement securing property between spouses.

Etymology

ME f. OF mariage f. marier MARRY(1)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Marriage

n. The state or condition of a community consisting of a master, a mistress and two slaves, making in all, two.

THESAURUS

Marriage

Anschluss, Gretna Green wedding, addition, affiliation, agglomeration, agglutination, aggregation, agreement, alliance, amalgamation, articulation, assimilation, association, banns, blend, blending, bond, bracketing, bridal, bridal suite, bridechamber, cabal, carnality, cartel, centralization, chuppah, church wedding, civil ceremony, civil wedding, clustering, coalescence, coalition, coldness, combination, combine, combo, communication, composition, concatenation, concourse, concurrence, confederacy, confederation, confluence, congeries, conglomeration, conjugation, conjunction, connection, consolidation, conspiracy, convergence, copulation, coupling, ecumenism, elopement, embodiment, encompassment, enosis, epithalamium, espousals, espousement, federalization, federation, flesh, fleshliness, forced marriage, frigidity, fusion, gathering, honeymoon, hookup, hymen, hymeneal, hymeneal rites, impotence, inclusion, incorporation, integration, intercommunication, intercourse, interlinking, joinder, joining, jointure, junction, junta, knotting, league, liaison, libido, linkage, linking, love, lovemaking, match, matrimony, meeting, meld, melding, merger, merging, nuptial apartment, nuptial mass, nuptial song, nuptials, package, package deal, pairing, potency, prothalamium, saffron veil, sensuality, sex drive, sexiness, sexual instinct, sexual urge, sexualism, sexuality, shotgun wedding, solidification, splice, spousal, spousals, symbiosis, syncretism, syndication, syneresis, synthesis, tie, tie-in, tie-up, unification, union, voluptuousness, wedding, wedding canopy, wedding song, wedding veil, wedlock, yoking

ROGET THESAURUS

Marriage

Marriage

N marriage, matrimony, wedlock, union, intermarriage, miscegenation, the bonds of marriage, vinculum matrimonii, nuptial tie, married state, coverture, bed, cohabitation, match, betrothment, wedding, nuptials, Hymen, bridal, espousals, spousals, leading to the altar, nuptial benediction, epithalamium, sealing, torch of Hymen, temple of Hymen, hymeneal altar, honeymoon, bridesmaid, bridesman, best man, bride, bridegroom, married man, married woman, married couple, neogamist, Benedict, partner, spouse, mate, yokemate, husband, man, consort, baron, old man, good man, wife of one's bosom, helpmate, rib, better half, gray mare, old woman, old lady, good wife, goodwife, feme, feme coverte, squaw, lady, matron, matronage, matronhood, man and wife, wedded pair, Darby and Joan, spiritual wife, monogamy, bigamy, digamy, deuterogamy, trigamy, polygamy, mormonism, levirate, spiritual wifery, spiritual wifeism, polyandrism, Turk, bluebeard, unlawful marriage, left-handed marriage, morganatic marriage, ill- assorted marriage, mesalliance, mariage de convenance, marriage broker, matrimonial agency, matrimonial agent, matrimonial bureau, matchmaker, schatchen, married, one, one bone and one flesh, marriageable, nubile, engaged, betrothed, affianced, matrimonial, marital, conjugal, connubial, wedded, nuptial, hymeneal, spousal, bridal, the gray mare the better horse, a world-without-end bargain, marriages are made in Heaven, render me worthy of this noble wife, si qua voles apte nubere nube pari.