Marriage - MAR'RIAGE, n. [L.mas, maris.] The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity,and for securing the maintenance and education of children.
Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. Heb 13
1. A feast made on the occasion of a marriage.
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage for his son. Mat 22.
2. In a scriptural sense, the union between Christ and his church by the covenant of grace. Rev 19.
Marry - MAR'RY, v.t. [L. mas, maris, a male; L. vir, a husband, a lord or master.]
1. To unite in wedlock or matrimony; to join a man and woman for life, and constitute them man and wife according to the laws or customs of a nation. By the laws, ordained clergymen have a right to marry persons within certain limits prescribed.
Tell him he shall marry the couple himself.
2. To dispose of in wedlock.
Mecaenas told Augustus he must either marry his daughter Julia to Agrippa, or take away his life.
[In this sense, it is properly applicable to females only.]
3. To take for husband or wife. We say, a man marries a woman; or a woman marries a man. The first was the original sense,but both are now well authorized.
4. In Scripture, to unite in covenant, or in the closest connection.
Turn, O backsliding children, saith Jehovah, for I am married to you. Jer 3.
MAR'RY, v.i. To enter into the conjugal state; to unite as husband and wife; to take a husband or a wife.
If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. Mat 19.
I will therefore that the younger women marry. 1 Tim 5.
MAR'RY, a term of asseveration, is said to have been derived from the practice of swearing by the virgin Mary. It is obsolete.
Mean - MEAN, a. [L. communis, vulgus, minor and minuo.]
1. Wanting dignity; low in rank or birth; as a man of mean parentage,mean birth or origin.
2. Wanting dignity of mind; low minded; base; destitute of honor; spiritless.
Can you imagine I so mean could prove,
To save my life by changing of my love?
3. Contemptible; despicable.
The Roman legions and great Caesar found
Our fathers no mean foes.
4. Of little value; low in worth or estimation; worthy of little or no regard.
We fast, not to please men, nor to promote any mean worldly interest.
5. Of little value; humble; poor; as a mean abode; a mean dress.
MEAN, a. [L. medium, medius.]
1. Middle; at an equal distance from the extremes; as the means distance; the mean proportion between quantities; the mean ratio.
According to the fittest style of lofty, mean, or lowly.
2. Intervening; intermediate; coming between; as in the mean time or while.
MEAN, n. The middle point or place; the middle rate or degree; mediocrity; medium. Observe the golden mean.
There is a mean in all things.
But no authority of gods or men
Allow of any mean in poesy.
1. Intervening time; interval of time; interim; meantime.
And in the mean, vouchsafe her honorable tomb.
Here is an omission of time or while.
2. Measure; regulation. [Not in use.]
3. Instrument; that which is used to effect an object; the medium through which something is done.
The virtuous conversation of christians was a mean to work the conversion of the heathen to Christ.
In this sense, means, in the plural,is generally used, and often with a definitive and verb in the singular.
By this means he had them more at vantage.
A good character,when established, should not be rested on as an end, but employed as a means of doing good.
4. Means, in the plural, income, revenue, resources, substance or estate, considered as the instrument of effecting any purpose. He would have built a house, but he wanted means.
Your means are slender.
5. Instrument of action or performance.
By all means, without fail. Go, by all means.
By no means, not at all; certainly not; not in any degree.
The wine on this side of the lake is by no means so good as that on the other.
By no manner of means, by no means; not the least.
By any means, possibly; at all.
If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. Phil 3.
Meantime
Meanwhile, in the intervening time. [In this use of these words there is an omission of in or in the; in the meantime.]
MEAN, v.t. pret. and pp. meant; pronounced ment. [L. mens; Eng.mind; L. intendo, propono.]
1. To have in the mind, view or contemplation; to intend.
What mean you by this service? Exo 12.
2. To intend; to purpose; to design, with reference to a future act.
Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it for good. Gen 1.
3. To signify; to indicate.
What mean these seven ewe lambs? Gen 21.
What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? 1 Sam 4.
Go ye, and learn what that meaneth-- Mat 9.
MEAN, v.i. To have thought or ideas; or to have meaning.
Measure - MEASURE, n. mezh'ur. [L. mensura, from mensus, with a casual n, the participle of metior, to measure; Eng. to mete.]
1. The whole extent or dimensions of a thing, including length, breadth and thickness.
The measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. Job 11.
It is applied also to length or to breadth separately.
2. That by which extent or dimension is ascertained, either length, breadth, thickness, capacity, or amount; as, a rod or pole is a measure of five yards and a half; an inch, a foot, a yard, are measures of length; a gallon is a measure of capacity. Weights and measures should be uniform. Silver and gold are the common measure of value.
3. A limited or definite quantity; as a measure of wine or beer.
4. Determined extent or length; limit.
Lord, make me to know my end, and the measure of my days. Psa 39.
5. A rule by which any thing is adjusted or proportioned.
God's goodness is the measure of his providence.
6. Proportion; quantity settled.
I enter not into the particulars of the law of nature, or its measures of punishment; yet there is such a law.
7. Full or sufficient quantity.
I'll never pause again,
Till either death hath clos'd these eyes of mine,
Or fortune given me measure of revenge.
8. Extent of power or office.
We will not boast of things without our measure.
2 Cor 10.
9. Portion allotted; extent of ability.
If else thou seekest
Aught not surpassing human measure, say.
10. Degree; quantity indefinite.
I have laid down, in some measure,the description of the old world.
A great measure of discretion is to be used in the performance of confession.
11. In music, that division by which the motion of music is regulated; or the interval or space of time between the rising and falling of the hand or foot of him who beats time. This measure regulates the time of dwelling on each note. The ordinary or common measure is one second.
12. In poetry, the measure or meter is the manner of ordering and combining the quantities, or the long and short syllables. Thus,hexameter, pentameter, Iambic, Sapphic verses, &c. consist of different measure.
13. In dancing, the interval between steps, corresponding to the interval between notes in the music.
My legs can keep no measure in delight.
14. In geometry, any quantity assumed as one or unity, to which the ratio of other homogeneous or similar quantities is expressed.
15. Means to an end; an act, step or proceeding towards the accomplishment of an object; an extensive signification of the word, applicable to almost every act preparatory to a final end, and by which it is to be attained. Thus we speak of legislative measures, political measures, public measures, prudent measures, a rash measure, effectual measures, inefficient measures.
In measure, with moderation; with excess.
Without measure, without limits; very largely or copiously.
To have hard measure, to be harshly or oppressively treated.
Lineal or long measure, measure of length; the measure of lines or distances.
Liquid measure, the measure of liquors.
MEASURE, v.t. mezh'ur. To compute or ascertain extent, quantity, dimensions or capacity by a certain rule; as, to measure land; to measure distance; to measure the altitude of a mountain; to measure the capacity of a ship or of a cask.
1. To ascertain the degree of any thing; as, to measure the degrees of heat, or of moisture.
2. To pass through or over.
We must measure twenty miles to day.
The vessel plows the sea,
And measures back with speed her former way.
3. To judge of distance, extent or quantity; as, to measure any thing by the eye.
Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite
Thy power; what thought can measure thee?
4. To adjust; to proportion.
To secure a contended spirit, measure your desires by your fortunes, not your fortunes by your desires.
5. To allot or distribute by measure.
With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Mat 7.
Meek - MEEK, a. [L. mucus; Eng. mucilage; Heb. to melt.]
1. Mild of temper; soft; gentle; not easily provoked or irritated; yielding; given to forbearance under injuries.
Now the man Moses was very meek, above all men. Num 12.
2. Appropriately,humble, in an evangelical sense; submissive to the divine will; not proud, self-sufficient or refractory; not peevish and apt to complain of divine dispensations. Christ says, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls." Mat 11.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Mat 5.