: a loose or crumbling earthy deposit (as of sand, silt, or clay) that contains a substantial amount of calcium carbonate
marly adjective

Examples of marl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are plenty of colors to choose from to suit all tastes, from practical grey marl to playful pink or festive plaid. Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 12 Dec. 2023 The coats are oversized, and roomy enough to accommodate hoodies or jumpers layered underneath. Consider this a forever buy, so stick to a neutral color palette like Beckham—think navy, black or gray marl. Emma Spedding, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2023 There are riverine deposits of sand, silt and gravel, as well as outcroppings of limestone and marl. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2021 In 1998, outside of Fort Wayne, Indiana, a hydraulic excavator at Buesching’s Peat Moss & Mulch stripped back a layer of peat and struck bone in the underlying marl. Peter Brannen, The Atlantic, 22 June 2022 But fashions change, and most observers believe that the limestone and marl here is much better suited to chardonnay than pinot noir. Jay McInerney, Town & Country, 6 June 2021 Inconsistency might also be attributed to differences in microclimates, altitude and soils, with some of the wines coming from limestone, sandstone and marl, and others coming from clay-rich soils. The New York Times News Service Syndicate, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French marle, from Medieval Latin margila, diminutive of Latin marga marl, from Gaulish

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of marl was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near marl

Cite this Entry

“Marl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marl. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

marl

noun
: a crumbling earthy deposit (as of sand or clay) that contains a lot of calcium carbonate

Geographical Definition

Marl

geographical name

city in the Ruhr district, western Germany population 85,000

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