marble
MAH-buhl
Marble (noun) means a hard, crystalline rock, often streaked with color, prized for sculpture and building. Example: “The hotel lobby has a polished marble floor that feels cool underfoot.”
noun
1
A hard, crystalline rock, often streaked with color, prized for sculpture and building.
"The hotel lobby has a polished marble floor that feels cool underfoot."
"Our kitchen worktop is made of grey marble with thin white veins."
"The statue was carved from a single block of white marble."
2
A small, usually glass, ball used in children's games.
"My grandfather kept a jar of old marbles on the shelf."
"She flicked her blue marble across the floor and hit her brother's."
"The kids spent the afternoon shooting marbles in the dirt."
3
The streaks of fat running through a cut of meat.
"The butcher showed us a piece of beef with plenty of marble."
"Meat with a lot of marble in it tastes rich when it is slow cooked."
"Good marbling in the steak means it will be juicy and tender."
verb
1
To give something a streaked, swirled pattern like that of marble.
"The artist marbled the paper by dipping it into swirling ink on water."
"He marbled the ice cream with ribbons of raspberry sauce before freezing it."
"She marbled the cake batter by swirling in chocolate syrup."
adjective
1
Made of, or resembling, marble; by extension, cold and unfeeling.
"The cathedral had a marble altar carved with delicate flowers."
"She gave him a marble stare and walked out without a word."
"He answered with a marble expression, giving nothing away."
How to use marble
Learner’s notesIn 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
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Word forms
- Plural
- marbles
- Third person singular
- marbles
- Past tense
- marbled
- Comparative
- more marble
- Superlative
- most marble
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The hotel lobby has a polished _____ floor that feels cool underfoot.
Etymology
From Old French marbre, from Latin marmor, from Greek mármaros — possibly related to a Greek word meaning "gleaming."
Related words
Rhymes for marble
See all rhymes for marble →Frequently asked questions
What does “marble” mean?
The word “marble” means a hard, crystalline rock, often streaked with color, prized for sculpture and building. In plain terms, the polished stone, the childhood toy, or the fat-streaked pattern in meat.
How do you pronounce “marble”?
“Marble” is pronounced MAH-buhl (/ˈmɑɹ.bəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “marble” in a sentence?
Here is “marble” used in a sentence: “The statue was carved from a single block of white marble.”
What part of speech is “marble”?
Depending on how it is used, “marble” can be a noun, a verb and an adjective.
Where does the word “marble” come from?
The word “marble” comes from Latin. From Old French marbre, from Latin marmor, from Greek mármaros — possibly related to a Greek word meaning "gleaming.".
Is “marble” a common word?
“Marble” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “marble” have?
“Marble” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a hard, crystalline rock, often streaked with color, prized for sculpture and building.
What is the difference between marble and granite?
Both are hard rocks used in building, but marble is a crystalline stone often streaked with color and prized for sculpture, while granite is formed from visible interlocking mineral grains. Marble is softer and more prone to scratching and staining, whereas granite is harder and more resistant to wear.
