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
: marbling
4
marbles plural
: elements of common sense
marble
adjective
marbled; marbling
ˈmär-b(ə-)liŋ 
: to give a veined or mottled appearance to
marble the edges of a book
Synonyms
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
Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
The uplifting song is the first listen from his forthcoming solo EP, Crooked Boy, which will be released on a limited-edition marble vinyl on April 20 for Record Store Day.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024
Their small black and gold markers sit in narrow marble frames, flat to the ground alongside a quiet path.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Kirill and his men cleared a path and ascended the marble steps.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Easily one of Mayfair’s newest and most exciting listings, the 5,200-square-foot, fourth-floor home was designed for large-scale entertaining and features a regal reception hall with marble floors and a grand piano.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
The 7-year-old saw granite and marble headstones jutting out from the grass near other graves, inscribed with epitaphs.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Additionally, the group’s 1964 album, Shut Down, Vol. 2, was released on limited edition blue and white marble vinyl on March 29.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
The marble board has a striped design and a leather loop at the handle.
—Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023
When most of the surface is covered with food coloring, drag a bamboo skewer across the top of the shaving cream to swirl and marble the colors.
—Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024
Bowing to a Fan Revolt: Germany’s soccer fans protested the specter of a private equity giant taking a stake in the country’s domestic league by raining tennis balls, chocolate coins and even marbles onto fields across the country.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024
Sun hopes to further improve her simulations of marbling in hopes of reverse-engineering some of her favorite patterns to determine which tools and movements were used to create them.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023
Although there are several different methods for marbling paper, the most common involves filling a shallow tray with water, then painstakingly applying different ink or paint colors to the water's surface with an ink brush to cover the surface with concentric circles.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023
Get the recipe: Caldo Verde A little while later, a server brought us two small bowls of a creamy golden broth, marbled with green.
—G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
Look for them in festive red, hot pink, cream, white, apricot, or with marbling, speckles, or streaks.
—Lynn Coulter, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2023
After the eggs soak in the dye, pat them with a paper towel and add pencil details to create a marbling effect.
—Katherine Owen, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2023
Noun
Her next move was to get Rich Maxwell from the Moon Marble Company in Bonner Springs to come to the school to discuss eclipse marbles.
—Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
The uplifting song is the first listen from his forthcoming solo EP, Crooked Boy, which will be released on a limited-edition marble vinyl on April 20 for Record Store Day.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024
Their small black and gold markers sit in narrow marble frames, flat to the ground alongside a quiet path.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Kirill and his men cleared a path and ascended the marble steps.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Easily one of Mayfair’s newest and most exciting listings, the 5,200-square-foot, fourth-floor home was designed for large-scale entertaining and features a regal reception hall with marble floors and a grand piano.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
The 7-year-old saw granite and marble headstones jutting out from the grass near other graves, inscribed with epitaphs.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Additionally, the group’s 1964 album, Shut Down, Vol. 2, was released on limited edition blue and white marble vinyl on March 29.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
The marble board has a striped design and a leather loop at the handle.
—Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
The hydrodynamics of marbling art Harvard University graduate student Yue Sun was fascinated by the process and the resulting patterns of making marbled paper, particularly the randomness.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023
When most of the surface is covered with food coloring, drag a bamboo skewer across the top of the shaving cream to swirl and marble the colors.
—Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024
Bowing to a Fan Revolt: Germany’s soccer fans protested the specter of a private equity giant taking a stake in the country’s domestic league by raining tennis balls, chocolate coins and even marbles onto fields across the country.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024
Sun hopes to further improve her simulations of marbling in hopes of reverse-engineering some of her favorite patterns to determine which tools and movements were used to create them.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023
Although there are several different methods for marbling paper, the most common involves filling a shallow tray with water, then painstakingly applying different ink or paint colors to the water's surface with an ink brush to cover the surface with concentric circles.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023
Get the recipe: Caldo Verde A little while later, a server brought us two small bowls of a creamy golden broth, marbled with green.
—G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
Look for them in festive red, hot pink, cream, white, apricot, or with marbling, speckles, or streaks.
—Lynn Coulter, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2023
After the eggs soak in the dye, pat them with a paper towel and add pencil details to create a marbling effect.
—Katherine Owen, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2023
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.
Dictionary Entries Near marble
Cite this Entry
“Marble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marble. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
marble
1 of 2 noun
mar·ble
ˈmär-bəl
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
: to give a streaked, spotted, or blotched appearance to (as by staining)
marble the edges of a book
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