the Virgin
35
6.0
- proper noun
- Formal
:
la Virgen
- I've been praying to the Virgin Mary.
- the Virgin Mary
- the Virgin of Guadalupe
- Christ and the Virgin
And they gave me a little round, a little Oval thing of the Virgin Mary that I still have.
- And they gave me a little round, a little Oval thing of the Virgin Mary that I still have.
- Whether, you know, it is like Saints or the Virgin Mary or all this.
Examples
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In Catholic Nicaragua, the images of the mother and the Virgin Mary continue to be powerful symbols.
Academic text (1999) -
In Fátima, three children saw the Virgin Mary.
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I think I see the Virgin Mary.
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Just like the Virgin Mary.
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Look at the Virgin Mary.
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But when I said she must be the Virgin Mary, she gave me such a look.
Fiction book (1998) -
How do you talk things through with someone who has conversations with the Virgin Mary?
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Under a peaked roof is a statue of the Virgin Mary, a dish of water at her feet.
Fiction book (1996) -
Most prominent is the Virgin of Guadalupe, who personifies Mexican identity and mestizo culture.
Academic text (2008) -
During the festival, many people came to honor the Virgin Mary with prayers and offerings.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
The mother of Jesus, honoured especially in the Roman Catholic Church
24
3.9
The mother of Jesus who is highly honored in Christian churches
18
6.6
A title used for Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Christian faith
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 + virgin
The phrase literally combines the definite article 'the' with 'virgin' (a person who has not had sex), so a learner who knows both words can derive a basic sense of 'a particular woman who is a virgin.' However, the specific referent—Mary, mother of Jesus as a religious title—is cultural/pragmatic knowledge not predictable from the words alone, so full understanding requires extra background.
Etymology
The Virgin comes from the belief that Mary gave birth while staying a virgin, meaning she had the baby without having sex. So people call Mary the Virgin to show she is the special 'mother of Jesus' and a holy woman many Christians honor.