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marble

[ mahr-buhl ]
/ ˈmɑr bəl /
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noun
adjective
verb (used with object), mar·bled, mar·bling.
to color or stain like variegated marble.
to apply a decorative pattern to (paper, the edges of a book, etc.) by transferring oil pigments floating on water.
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Origin of marble

1150–1200; Middle English marbel, dissimilated variant of Old English marmel (in marmelstān marble stone) <Latin marmor<Greek mármaros, akin to marmaírein to sparkle

OTHER WORDS FROM marble

marbler, nounun·mar·bled, adjective

Other definitions for marble (2 of 2)

Marble
[ mahr-buhl ]
/ ˈmɑr bəl /

noun
Alice, 1913–90, U.S. tennis player.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use marble in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for marble

marble
/ (ˈmɑːbəl) /

noun
verb
(tr) to mottle with variegated streaks in imitation of marble
adjective
cold, hard, or unresponsive
white like some kinds of marble
See also marbles

Derived forms of marble

marbled, adjectivemarbler, nounmarbly, adjective

Word Origin for marble

C12: via Old French from Latin marmor, from Greek marmaros, related to Greek marmairein to gleam
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for marble

marble
[ märbəl ]

A metamorphic rock consisting primarily of calcite and dolomite. Marble is formed by the metamorphism of limestone. Although it is usually white to gray in color, it often has irregularly colored marks due to the presence of impurities such as silica and clay. Marble is used especially in sculpture and as a building material.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with marble

marble

see have all one's buttons (marbles).

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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