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marl

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(märl)

noun

a mixture of clay, sand, and limestone in varying proportions, that is soft and crumbly and usually contains shell fragments
any loose, earthy, crumbly deposit

Origin: ME < OFr marle < ML margila (> Ger mergel), dim. of L marga, marl < Gaul

transitive verb

to cover or fertilize with marl

Related Forms:

marly adjective

transitive verb

to wind marline around (rope), taking a hitch at each turn

Origin: Du marlen, prob. freq. < MDu marren, to lash, bind, akin to MHG merren, to hinder, fasten < IE base *mer-, to disturb, anger > mar

See marl in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A crumbly mixture of clays, calcium and magnesium carbonates, and remnants of shells that is sometimes found under desert sands and used as fertilizer for lime-deficient soils.

transitive verb marled, marl·ing, marls

To fertilize with such a mixture.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English marle

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Medieval Latin margila, marla

Origin: , diminutive of Latin marga, marl

Origin: , of Celtic origin

Related Forms:

marlˈy adjective

A city of west-central Germany in the Ruhr Valley north of Essen. First mentioned in the ninth century, it is now highly industrialized. Population: 90,100.

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