Merry, a. [Compar. Merrier; superl. Merriest.]
Etymology: [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 Jas. v. 13.
3. Causing laughter, mirth, gladness, or delight; as, 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.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Merry, n. (Bot.)
A kind of wild red cherry.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for merry; he lists it under happy.
He lists it without comment; the entries above explain its neighbors.