marble Hear it!

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marble definition

mar·ble (mär′bəl)

noun

  1. a hard, crystalline or granular, metamorphic limestone, white or variously colored and sometimes streaked or mottled, which can take a high polish: it is much used in building and sculpture
    1. a piece or slab of this stone, used as a monument, inscribed record, etc.
    2. a piece of sculpture in marble
  3. anything resembling or suggesting marble in hardness, smoothness, coldness, coloration, etc.
    1. a little ball of stone, glass, or clay, used in games
    2. a children's game in which a marble is propelled by the thumb at other marbles, usually in an attempt to drive them out of a marked circle
  5. a marbled pattern; marbling
  6. Slang mental soundness; sanity; wits to lose one's marbles

Etymology: ME marble, marbre < OFr marbre < L marmor < Gr marmaros, white stone, orig. boulder (meaning infl. by marmairein, to shine) < IE base *mer-, to rub > mare

adjective

  1. made or consisting of marble
  2. like marble in some way; hard, cold, smooth, white, etc., or streaked, mottled, etc.

transitive verb marbled -·bled, marbling -·bling

to stain or color (book edges) to look mottled or streaked like marble

Related Forms:

marble Idioms

go for all the marbles

☆
Slang to take a great risk in the hope of a great gain

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms marble idiom

marble Synonyms

marble

modif.

  1. Composed of marble

    marmoreal, adamant, flinty, vitreous, horny, corneus, bony, osseous, petrified, granitelike, unyielding, indurated; see also stone.

  2. Giving the effect of marble

    marbled, mottled, marmoreal, veined, flecked, striated, barred, striped, watered, pied, variegated, mosaic, diapered.


marble

n.

  1. Metamorphic limestone

    limestone, chalcedony, quartz, alabaster. see stone.

    Varieties of marble include: Parian, Pentelic, Carrara, Carrian, Serpentine, Algerian, Italian, Tecali, onyx marbles, Siena, Tuscan, Gibraltar, Vermont, Georgia, fire, black, rance, cipolin, giallo antico, brocatello, verdantique, ophicalcite;

  2. A piece of carved marble

    carving, figurine, figure; see art 2, sculpture, statue.

  3. A ball used in marbles

    nib, ivory, mig, shooter, ante, bait, taw, aggie, cat's eye, glassy; see also toy 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

marble Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • carve: I also started carving a red Turkish marble - nice, tight colorful stone " .

Adjective modifier

  • Parian: I'll not build a temple of Parian marble for you, Germanicus: my ruin stripped me of my wealth.

Modifies a noun

  • hearth: White Adam style fire surround on marble inset with gas living flame coal effect fire set on marble hearth.

Noun used with modifier

  • travertine: Most of the garden is laid with travertine marble, with flower beds and covered parking to the front.
marble usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

marble quotes

All your better deeds Shall be in water writ, but this in marble.

-Beaumont, Francis and Fletcher,John

Sometimes, in order to imitate the original, it is necessary toput something that isnot inthe original into a portrait in marble.

-Bernini, Gianlorenzo

One eye was entirely gone, and the loss made one side of the face repulsive, while the other might have been modelled in marble.'Desperado' was written in large letters all over him. I almost repented of having sought his acquaintance.

-Bird, Isabella married name Isabella Bishop

marble quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"marble." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/marble>

APA Style

marble. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/marble

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