Virgin Mary
24
3.9
- proper noun
:
Virgen María
- For us, men, and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Virgin Mary...
- the Blessed Virgin Mary
- statue of the Virgin Mary
- the Holy Virgin Mary
So he on his poncho has imprinted the Blessed Virgin Mary's image on his tilma.
- So he on his poncho has imprinted the Blessed Virgin Mary's image on his tilma.
- So say, let's take the example of sightings of the Virgin Mary.
- Just like Notre Dame was Our Lady, the the Virgin Mary, right.
- So within this hoop we have this incredible diamond and then we have the protective qualities of the Virgin Mary and Saint Thomas Beckett as well.
Examples
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I've been praying to the Virgin Mary.
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In Catholic Nicaragua, the images of the mother and the Virgin Mary continue to be powerful symbols.
Academic text (1999) -
Look at the Virgin Mary.
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No, but one of them did look like the Virgin Mary, now that you mention it.
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But when I said she must be the Virgin Mary, she gave me such a look.
Fiction book (1998) -
There was also a painting of the Virgin Mary and one of the three kings worshipping the Christ Child.
Fiction book (2001) -
I won a foot-high statue of the Virgin Mary, completely white, for a story I wrote about a saint.
Fiction book (1997) -
Three shepherd children reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary, followed by miracles, prophesies.
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On the campsite was a huge statue of the Virgin Mary enclosed in a hand-carved dark wooden shrine.
Fiction book (2001) -
The church offers an important iconic ideal of motherhood: the Virgin Mary peacefully cradling a newborn baby.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
The mother of Jesus, honoured especially in the Roman Catholic Church
35
6.0
A woman who is the mother of Jesus in Christian belief, especially honored by Catholics
18
6.6
A title used for Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Christian faith
5
7.1
A title for the Virgin Mary and the famous shrine near Mexico City
4
7.3
A title for Mary, the mother of Jesus, used mainly by Christians, especially Catholics
1
9.9
A title or picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus, used in Eastern Christian churches
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'virgin' can be extended to mean 'without alcohol' in beverage naming, so a learner who knows 'virgin' and that 'Mary' refers to the Bloody Mary cocktail could infer it is a non-alcoholic drink. However, this relies on cultural naming conventions (using 'virgin' for alcohol-free versions) and the proper noun 'Mary' does not itself indicate ingredients, so the meaning is partially but not fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Virgin Mary is the name used in Christianity because Mary is believed to have become the mother of Jesus while still a virgin. That's why she is called 'Virgin' and is honored as his mother.