First Known Use: 12th century
Dictionary
1marble
noun mar·ble \ˈmär-bəl\
: a kind of stone that is often polished and used in buildings and statues
: a little glass ball used in some children's games
marbles : a children's game played with little glass balls
Full Definition of MARBLE
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 b plural but sing in constr : any of several games played with these little balls c 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
plural : elements of common sense; especially : sanity <persons who are born without all their marbles — Arthur Miller>
— marble adjective
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Origin of MARBLE
Middle English, from Anglo-French marbre, from Latin marmor, from Greek marmaros
2marble
verb
mar·bledmar·bling \-b(ə-)liŋ\
Definition of MARBLE
transitive verb
: to give a veined or mottled appearance to <marble the edges of a book>
First Known Use of MARBLE
1675
MARBLE Defined for Kids
marble
noun mar·ble \ˈmär-bəl\
Definition of MARBLE for Kids
1
: a type of limestone that is capable of taking a high polish and is used in architecture and sculpture
2
: a little ball (as of glass) used in a children's game (marbles)
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