Main Entry:

¹mar·ble

Pronunciation:

\ˈmär-bəl\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French marbre, from Latin marmor, from Greek marmaros

Date:

12th century

1 a: limestone that is more or less crystallized by metamorphism, that ranges from granular to compact in texture, that is capable of taking a high polish, and that is used especially in architecture and sculpture b: something (as a piece of sculpture) composed of or made from marble c: something suggesting marble (as in hardness, coldness, or smoothness) <a heart of marble>2 a: a little ball made of a hard substance (as glass) and used in various games bplural but sing in constr : any of several games played with these little balls cplural : the rewards to be won in competition especially for a championship —used in the phrase all the marbles<a game being played for all the marbles>3: marbling4plural : elements of common sense ; especially : sanity <persons who are born without all their marbles — Arthur Miller>

— marble adjective