marble

1 of 2

noun

mar·​ble ˈmär-bəl How to pronounce marble (audio)
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 (such 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 (such as glass) and used in various games
b
marbles plural in form but singular in construction : any of several games played with these little balls
c
marbles plural : 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
4
marbles plural : elements of common sense
especially : sanity
persons who are born without all their marbles Arthur Miller
marble adjective

marble

2 of 2

verb

marbled; marbling ˈmär-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce marble (audio)

transitive verb

: to give a veined or mottled appearance to
marble the edges of a book

Examples of marble in a Sentence

Noun The statue is made of marble. I love to play with marbles. Verb marble the paper with several different dyes to get a striking effect
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The marble staircase is perfect for a dramatic black tie photo opp en route to the historic grand ballroom. Kristen Tauer, WWD, 23 Sep. 2024 The door-stop alarm works with doors that open inward, and has a non-skid pad for use on tile, wood, marble and carpeted floors. Catherine Garcia, theweek, 23 Sep. 2024
Verb
There’s also the international Beef Marbling Score, which grades marbling on a scale of one to 12. Wes Siler, Outside Online, 23 July 2024 Repeat the twisting and folding process until marbled. Claire Hoppe, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for marble 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marble.' 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

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1675, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of marble was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near marble

Cite this Entry

“Marble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marble. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

marble

1 of 2 noun
mar·​ble ˈmär-bəl How to pronounce marble (audio)
1
a
: a limestone that takes a high polish and is used in architecture and sculpture
b
: something made from marble
especially : a piece of sculpture
2
a
: a little ball (as of glass) used in various games
b
plural : a children's game played with these little balls
marble adjective

marble

2 of 2 verb
marbled; marbling ˈmär-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce marble (audio)
: to give a streaked, spotted, or blotched appearance to (as by staining)
marble the edges of a book

More from Merriam-Webster on marble

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