marble

UK: /ˈmɑː^rb^əl/ US: /ˈmɑrbəl/ ,(mär′bəl)

Inflections of 'marble' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

marbles

v 3rd person singular

marbling

v pres p

marbled

v past

marbled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

mar•ble /ˈmɑrbəl/   n. 

1. Rocks limestone that has been changed into a hard rock, used in sculpture and in buildings:
   [uncountable] columns of beautiful marble.
2. something resembling marble, as in hardness:
   [uncountable] a heart of marble.
3. Games a little ball usually made of glass for use in games:
   [countable] The marbles spilled onto the floor.
4. Games marbles, [uncountable* used with a singular verb] a game for children played with marbles in a marked area on the ground.
5. Slang Terms marbles, [plural] wits;
   common sense:
   Have you lost all your marbles?

adj. [before a noun]

6. consisting of or resembling marble:
   marble statues.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mar•ble  (mär′bəl), n., adj., v., -bled, -bling. 
n. 

1. Rocks metamorphosed limestone, consisting chiefly of recrystallized calcite or dolomite, capable of taking a high polish, occurring in a wide range of colors and variegations and used in sculpture and architecture.
2. Rocks any variety of this stone:
   Carrara marble.
3. an object made of or carved from this stone, esp. a sculpture:
   Renaissance marbles.
4. a piece of this stone:
   the fallen marbles of Roman ruins.
5. (not in technical use) any of various breccias or other stones that take a high polish and show a variegated pattern.
6. a marbled appearance or pattern;
   marbling:
   The woodwork had a greenish marble.
7. anything resembling marble in hardness, coldness, smoothness, etc.:
   a brow of marble.
8. something lacking in warmth or feeling.
9. Games a little ball made of stone, baked clay, glass, porcelain, agate, or steel, esp. for use in games.
10. Games marbles, (used with a sing. v.) a game for children in which a marble is propelled by the thumb to hit another marble so as to drive it out of a circle drawn or scratched on the ground.
11. Slang Terms marbles, normal rational faculties;
    sanity;
    wits;
    common sense:
    to have all one's marbles; to lose one's marbles.

adj. 
12. consisting or made of marble.
13. like marble, as in hardness, coldness, smoothness, etc.
14. lacking in warmth, compassion, or sympathy:
    marble heart.
15. of variegated or mottled color.

v.t. 
16. to color or stain like variegated marble.
17. Printing to apply a decorative pattern to (paper, the edges of a book, etc.) by transferring oil pigments floating on water.
• Greek mármaros, akin to marmaírein to sparkle
• Latin marmor
• Middle English marbel, dissimilated variant of Old English marmel (in marmelstān marble stone) 1150–1200
mar′bler, n. 

Mar•ble  (mär′bəl), n. 

1. Biographical Alice, 1913–90, U.S. tennis player.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

marble / ˈmɑːb^əl/ noun

1. a hard crystalline metamorphic rock resulting from the recrystallization of a limestone: takes a high polish and is used for building and sculpture
2. (as modifier): a marble bust
3. a block or work of art of marble
4. a small round glass or stone ball used in playing marbles

verb

1. (transitive) to mottle with variegated streaks in imitation of marble

Etymology: 12th Century: via Old French from Latin marmor, from Greek marmaros, related to Greek marmairein to gleam

ˈmarbled adjective