metamorphosed limestone, consisting chiefly of recrystallized calcite or dolomite, capable of taking a high polish, occurring in a wide range of colors and variegations and used in sculpture and architecture.
any variety of this stone.
Carrara marble.
an object made of or carved from this stone, especially a sculpture.
Renaissance marbles.
a piece of this stone.
the fallen marbles of Roman ruins.
(not in technical use) any of various breccias or other stones that take a high polish and show a variegated pattern.
a marbled appearance or pattern; marbling.
The woodwork had a greenish marble.
anything resembling marble in hardness, coldness, smoothness, etc..
a brow of marble.
something lacking in warmth or feeling.
a little ball made of stone, baked clay, glass, porcelain, agate, or steel, especially for use in games.
(used with a singular verb) marbles, a game for children in which a marble is propelled by the thumb to hit another marble so as to drive it out of a circle drawn or scratched on the ground.
Slang. marbles, normal rational faculties; sanity; wits; common sense.
to have all one's marbles; to lose one's marbles.
consisting or made of marble.
like marble, as in hardness, coldness, smoothness, etc.
lacking in warmth, compassion, or sympathy.
marble heart.
of variegated or mottled color.
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.
a hard crystalline metamorphic rock resulting from the recrystallization of a limestone: takes a high polish and is used for building and sculpture
( as modifier )
a marble bust
a block or work of art of marble
a small round glass or stone ball used in playing marbles
informal to succeed or do the right thing
informal to die
cold, hard, or unresponsive
white like some kinds 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
Marble is a very hard rock that's a particular type of limestone. Fancy lobbies (and even bathrooms) are often lined with marble. Marble's unique qualities make it a popular stone for artists and kitchen designers alike — the white stone statues you find in most museums, some of them dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, are carved from white marble. High-end kitchen counters are often made from polished slabs of darker colored marble. A single marble is a glass ball swirled with marble-like colors, and "to marble" is to paint with similar swirls and whorls.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On the second floor, a generous dining space and an open kitchen with marble surfaces, warm-wood cabinetry, and one of the building’s original steel trusses await.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The designer Maruti Evans illustrates the contrast effectively, the icy marble and barren trees of Sicilia transformed into a riot of colorful flora.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The president has weighed in on paving stones, marble, flagpoles and other aesthetic details around the White House as he reshapes the presidential grounds.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
In collaboration with artist Niki Haas, the space features elegant marble furnishings while its exterior is classic brick.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The floor was the same as ever, black marble, but around them were windows looking out on a swirling night sky, the lights of Manhattan beneath them.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
To reach the start of the parade, organisers recommend using Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch Underground stations.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Protesters carrying placards with slogans like "no to racism" and "you cannot divide us" marched from near Marble Arch to Whitehall near the UK parliament for a planned rally.
From Barron's ● Mar. 28, 2026
Former staff writer Steve Marble contributed to this report.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2025
In a Truth Social post this week, Trump bragged about “potential Marble armrests for the seating” at what he called “The Trump Kennedy Center,” declaring the design “unlike anything ever done or seen before.”
From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2025
Marble stairs lead down into the palace garden for Sophia's birthday game.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Houdon’s Franklin bust exists in several autograph versions, including the marbles at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art and two plaster versions in European collections.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
If two marbles are painted different colors, for example, you can track which one moved where.
From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026
"The other founders refused to turn the keys of artificial intelligence over to one person," Savitt continued, adding: "When they refused to let OpenAI be absorbed" Musk "took his marbles and went home."
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
But Lee marbles other theories and indictments into his meat concerning the privilege of extreme emotion and behavioral honesty.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
Her eyes are like dull marbles that stare through him.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
"When a dam blocks stream passage, threatened and endangered salmon suffer; when forests with nesting trees for marbled murrelets are logged, threatened murrelets slide closer to extinction," the complaint said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Turkey's home strip features a marbled pattern, inspired by the Turkish paper marbling art of Ebru.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
So said Pope Leo XIV to ambassadors from around the world in a marbled hall above the main entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica in January.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026
You can also swirl the jam directly into the whipped cream for a marbled effect that looks fancier than it is.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2025
He pays for his cup, the steaming concoction contained in black-and-white marbled swirls, and wonders for a moment before his first sip if it won’t taste as good as he remembers.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Turkey's home strip features a marbled pattern, inspired by the Turkish paper marbling art of Ebru.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
All of these pieces have dramatic warps, waves, marbling and imperfections that make them unique and add to their beauty and history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
This creation combined the centuries-old craft of paper marbling with a tried-and-true Nervous System invention: the infinity puzzle.
From New York Times ● Dec. 9, 2022
Others included marbling using carrageen moss or jewels or gold to signify their intended owners’ wealth and status.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 3, 2022
“Now we will add the cocoa to the rest of the batter and swirl it all around. That’s the marbling part. Maybe you want to do that?”
From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
