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marl

1
[ mahrl ]
/ mɑrl /
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noun
Geology. a friable earthy deposit consisting of clay and calcium carbonate, used especially as a fertilizer for soils deficient in lime.
Archaic. earth.
verb (used with object)
to fertilize with marl.
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Origin of marl

1
1325–75; Middle English marle<Middle Dutch <Old French <Medieval Latin margila, diminutive of Latin marga, said to be <Gaulish

OTHER WORDS FROM marl

mar·la·cious [mahr-ley-shuhs], /mɑrˈleɪ ʃəs/, marly, adjective

Other definitions for marl (2 of 2)

marl2
[ mahrl ]
/ mɑrl /

verb (used with object) Nautical.
to wind (a rope) with marline, every turn being secured by a hitch.

Origin of marl

2
1400–50; late Middle English marlyn to ensnare; akin to Old English mārels cable. See moor2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use marl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for marl (1 of 2)

marl1
/ (mɑːl) /

noun
a fine-grained sedimentary rock consisting of clay minerals, calcite or aragonite, and silt: used as a fertilizer
verb
(tr) to fertilize (land) with marl

Derived forms of marl

marlacious (mɑːˈleɪʃəs) or marly, adjective

Word Origin for marl

C14: via Old French, from Late Latin margila, diminutive of Latin marga

British Dictionary definitions for marl (2 of 2)

marl2
/ (mɑːl) /

verb
nautical to seize (a rope) with marline, using a hitch at each turn

Word Origin for marl

C15 marlyn to bind; related to Dutch marlen to tie, Old English mārels cable
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 marl

marl
[ märl ]

A crumbly mixture of clays, calcium and magnesium carbonates, and remnants of shells that forms in both freshwater and marine environments.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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