marl

[ 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

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

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

The comments were a shocking dose of reality for graduating senior Marly Faherty.
Obama’s Barnard College Commencement Speech Win|Jesse Ellison|May 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
So you go on making a trap for philosophers, according to a plan I will give you, on vacant ground out Meudon or Marly way.
Balsamo, The Magician|Alexander Dumas
Do you know that Gilliatt would think nothing of putting the machine at Marly in his pocket, and walking about with it?
Toilers of the Sea|Victor Hugo
He was to tie up for the night at a little village near Marly-le-Roi.
The Rose of Old St. Louis|Mary Dillon

It is generally enveloped by a reddish, compact earth, or marly clay.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
A vein of marly clay, enveloping the ore, was then penetrated.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

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.

marl

Origin of marl

OTHER WORDS FROM marl

Other definitions for marl (2 of 2)

Origin of marl

Words related to marl

How to use marl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for marl (1 of 2)

Derived forms of marl

Word Origin for marl

British Dictionary definitions for marl (2 of 2)

Word Origin for marl

Scientific definitions for marl