Mer"ry (?), a.
[Compar. Merrier (?);
superl. Merriest.] [OE. merie,
mirie, murie, merry, pleasant, AS. merge,
myrige, pleasant; cf. murge, adv.; prob. akin to OHG.
murg, short, Goth. gamaúrgjan to shorten; cf. L.
murcus a coward, who cuts off his thumb to escape military
service; the Anglo-Saxon and English meanings coming from the idea of
making the time seem short. Cf. Mirth.] 1.
Laughingly gay; overflowing with good humor and good spirits;
jovial; inclined to laughter or play ; sportive.
They drank, and were merry with
him.
Gen. xliii. 34.
I am never merry when I hear sweet
music.
Shak.
2. Cheerful; joyous; not sad;
happy.
Is any merry? let him sing
psalms.
Jas. v. 13.
3. Causing laughter, mirth, gladness, or
delight; as, a merry jest. "Merry wind and
weather." Spenser.
Merry dancers. See under Dancer.
-- Merry men, followers; retainers.
[Obs.]
His merie men commanded he
To make him bothe game and glee.
Chaucer.
--
To make merry, to be jovial; to indulge
in hilarity; to feast with mirth. Judg. ix. 27.
Syn. -- Cheerful; blithe; lively; sprightly; vivacious;
gleeful; joyous; mirthful; jocund; sportive; hilarious.
Mer"ry (m&ebreve;r"r&ybreve;), n.
(Bot.) A kind of wild red cherry.
