noun

marble

MAH-buhl

noun

A hard, crystalline rock, often streaked with color, prized for sculpture and building.

"The statue was carved from a single block of white marble."

A small, usually glass, ball used in children's games.

"The kids spent the afternoon shooting marbles in the dirt."

The streaks of fat running through a cut of meat.

"Good marbling in the steak means it will be juicy and tender."

verb

To give something a streaked, swirled pattern like that of marble.

"She marbled the cake batter by swirling in chocolate syrup."

adjective

Made of, or resembling, marble; by extension, cold and unfeeling.

"He answered with a marble expression, giving nothing away."

How to Use Marble

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe polished stone, the childhood toy, or the fat-streaked pattern in meat.

Common mistake

"Lose your marbles" is an idiom meaning to lose one's sanity, not literal marbles.

Common pairings

marble floor marble statue shoot marbles well-marbled steak

more marble comparative, marbled past tense, marbles plural, Marbles plural, marbles singular, most marble superlative

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The statue was carved from a single block of white _____.

From Old French marbre, from Latin marmor, from Greek mármaros — possibly related to a Greek word meaning "gleaming."

warble