marbly

Variant of marble

marble definition

mar·ble (märbəl)

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
  2. 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
  3. a marbled pattern; marbling
  4. 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 © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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