marl¹ Definition
marl (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
Etymology: ME < OFr marle < ML margila (> Ger mergel), dim. of L marga, marl < Gaul
transitive verb
to cover or fertilize with marl
marl¹ Related Forms
marl′y adjective
marl² Definition
marl (märl)
transitive verb
to wind marline around (rope), taking a hitch at each turn
Etymology: Du marlen, prob. freq. < MDu marren, to lash, bind, akin to MHG merren, to hinder, fasten < IE base *mer-, to disturb, anger > mar
marl Usage Examples
Converse of object
comprise: The Upper Coal Measures outcrop between Halesowen and West Bromwich and largely comprise marls, red sandy mudstones and grits.
Adjective modifier
- gray: The patchwork of scattered cornfields interspersed with the region's crumbling, gray marl ' badlands ' forms a splendid wildlife habitat.
- red: The rocks here are red marls, with bands of the mineral gypsum.
- calcareous: The skeletons of millions of aquatic animals, which lived and died in the lake, formed a layer of calcareous marl.
- Triassic: Upto 6 basaltic dikes intrude into these Triassic marls and mudstones.
- soft: Being regularly washed by wave action at every high tide, the softer marl is soon eroded away from the harder calcite fossils.
- Devonian: The Hereford fabrics would have needed tempering since the gravel found in them is not found naturally mixed with Devonian marl.
Modifies a noun
- pit: Ponds can be old surface quarries, chalk wells, lime pits or marl pits.
- lake: However, the largest numbers were recorded in marl lakes.
- band: A common feature of the Chalk sequence is the presence of marl bands.
- seam: Even in the Chalk of Southern England, many of the thin marl seams ( eg.
- clay: The topsoil is a loamy clay mix to a depth of around 16 " then its red marl clay.
Noun used with modifier
- chalk: Samphire Hoe is a new piece of England created from 4.9 million cubic meters of chalk marl dug to create the Channel Tunnel.
- brick: This rock is famous throughout Nottingham as a brick marl.
- lake: Biostratigraphy and palaeolimnology of late-glacial and holocene lake marls at Quidenham Mere, Norfolk G. L. Hyman, PET.
Browse dictionary entries near marl
- ‹ markup
- ‹ marksman
- ‹ Marks, Leo
- ‹ Markov source
- ‹ Markov process
- ‹ Markoff, John
- ‹ markka
- ‹ marking
- ‹ Markham, Dewey 'Pigmeat'
- ‹ Markham

