a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material
"The artist selected pure white marble to carve the intricate details of his new statue, knowing its smooth surface would take an exceptional shine."
a small ball of glass that is used in various games
"The children spent their afternoon rolling marble across the polished kitchen floor."
a sculpture carved from marble
"The ancient Greek artist spent years chiseling his masterpiece into a smooth block of white marble."
A metamorphic rock of crystalline limestone.
"The geologist identified the polished countertop as a specimen of marble, a beautiful metamorphic rock formed from recrystallized limestone."
In plain English: Marble is a hard, shiny stone often used to make floors and statues that feels smooth when you touch it.
"The children played happily on the floor, rolling white marbles back and forth against each other."
Usage: Use "marble" as a noun to refer specifically to the white and gray streaked stone often used in sculpture or flooring. When describing something that looks like this material but is not actually made from it, use the adjective form rather than calling it a different type of rock.
To cause (something to have) the streaked or swirled appearance of certain types of marble, for example by mixing viscous ingredients incompletely, or by applying paint or other colorants unevenly.
"The chef accidentally marbled the chocolate batter by stirring in white cream too vigorously, creating a beautiful streaked pattern throughout the cake."
In plain English: To marble means to mix something until it has many small, colorful swirls inside it.
"The children played until their shoes were covered in mud and they had to scrub them clean with soap and water."
Made of, or resembling, marble.
"The statue was carved from a stone that looked exactly like polished white marble."
In plain English: Marble describes something that is smooth, shiny, and made of polished stone used for floors or statues.
"The marble floor shone brightly in the sunlight."
A surname.
"The famous architect named Marble designed several iconic buildings in Paris during the nineteenth century."
The word entered Middle English as a loanword from Anglo-Norman and Old French versions of the Latin term marmor. This ultimately traces back to Ancient Greek for "marble," possibly meaning something that gleams or shines.