What does "marble" mean?
A metamorphic rock of crystalline limestone.
Marble
/ˈmɑɹ.bəl/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A metamorphic rock of crystalline limestone.
- Grammar: marble is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adamant, agate, agate sphere, alabaster.
- Useful contrasts: granite, plain, plastic.
- Usage evidence: The building is built of marble of a most lovely color.
How to use "marble"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "marble" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "marble" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "marble" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "marble" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "marble" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adamant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "marble", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A metamorphic rock of crystalline limestone. uncountable
"Open thy marble jaws, O tomb / And hide me, earth, in thy dark womb."
- 2 a small ball of glass that is used in various games wordnet
- 3 A small ball used in games, originally of marble but now usually of glass or ceramic. countable
- 4 a sculpture carved from marble wordnet
- 5 Statues made from marble. countable, in-plural, uncountable
"The Elgin Marbles were originally part of the temple of the Parthenon."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material wordnet
- 7 The marbling in meat. countable, uncountable
"The marble is graded using the Australian system."
Verb
- 1 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. transitive
"The small clouds which chequered the sky, as they passed along, spread their flitting shadows on the distant mountains, and seemed to marble them; a beauty which I do not recollect has struck any painter."
- 2 paint or stain like marble wordnet
- 3 To get or have the streaked or swirled appearance of certain types of marble, for example due to the incomplete mixing of viscous ingredients, or the uneven application of paint or other colorants. intransitive
"Scent the entire batch and then color half with the blue colorant. Pour both parts back into your soap pot. Do not stir. Pour in a circular motion into a block mold. The pouring action will cause the soap to marble."
- 4 To cause meat, usually beef, pork, or lamb, to be interlaced with fat so that its appearance resembles that of marble. transitive
"Their flesh is soft (tender), and they throw a portion of their fat among the lean so as to marble it. The beef is of a better quality and they take on fat much easier."
- 5 To become interlaced with fat; (of fat) to interlace through meat. intransitive
"We've gone mostly to black bulls — Angus bulls because today the packers like black cattle. They seem to marble better."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To lace or be laced throughout. broadly, figuratively
"Was he the reason for the bitterness that seemed to marble her character?"
Adjective
- 1 Made of, or resembling, marble.
"a marble mantel"
- 2 Cold; hard; unfeeling. figuratively
"a marble heart"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A statutory town in Gunnison County, Colorado.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The building is built of marble of a most lovely color."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "marble"?
Common synonyms include: adamant, agate, agate sphere, alabaster, antigorite, argent.
How do you use "marble" in a sentence?
The building is built of marble of a most lovely color.
How do you pronounce "marble"?
Pronounced /ˈmɑɹ.bəl/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English marble, marbre; from Anglo-Norman and Old French marbre, from Latin marmor, from Ancient Greek μάρμαρος (mármaros), perhaps related to μαρμάρεος (marmáreos, “gleaming”). The forms from French displaced Old English marma, which had previously been borrowed from Latin.