marl
1 Americannoun
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Geology. a friable earthy deposit consisting of clay and calcium carbonate, used especially as a fertilizer for soils deficient in lime.
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Archaic. earth.
verb (used with object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of marl1
1325–75; Middle English marle < Middle Dutch < Old French < Medieval Latin margila, diminutive of Latin marga, said to be < Gaulish
Origin of marl2
1400–50; late Middle English marlyn to ensnare; akin to Old English mārels cable. See moor 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
South Jersey achieved paleontological renown with the 1858 discovery of a nearly complete skeleton of the duck-billed dinosaur Hadrosaurus foulkii in a Haddonfield marl pit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2025
The marl cliffs, which attract thousands of tourists every year, were defaced sometime overnight on Friday.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2022
It shares the same Kimmeridgian marl soils as its glorified neighbor and produces some top-notch sauvignon blanc.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 30, 2021
The coat is available in only one color – grey marl.
From Fox News ● Nov. 26, 2021
Limestone, gravel and marl are to be had in most other parts.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4 "G" to "Gaskell, Elizabeth" by Various
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.
