Marble Meaning
/ˈmɑː.bəl/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA metamorphic rock of crystalline limestone.
nounA small ball used in games, originally of marble but now usually of glass or ceramic.
Sentence Examples
The building is built of marble of a most lovely color.
He carved marble into a statue.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The children played a game with a colorful ____ that they rolled across the floor.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The floors of the palace were made of polished ____, which looked very elegant and also felt very cool.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Open thy marble jaws, O tomb / And hide me, earth, in thy dark womb."
— 1751, George Frideric Handel, Thomas Morell (librettist), Jephtha:
"[I]t was a portrait of the Library, though not strictly correct as to its contents, since all the best of the marbles displayed in various parts of the house were brought into the painting by the artist, who made it up into a picturesque composition according to his own taste."
— 1828, JT Smith, Nollekens and His Times, Century Hutchinson, published 1986, page 164:
"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."
— 1774, William Hutchinson, An excursion to the lakes in Westmoreland and Cumberland, August, 1773, page 29:
"In the operation of marbling the edges of the books, [...]"
— 1899, Thirteenth Annual Report of the Commissioner of Labor, volume 1, page 106:
"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."
— 2007, Alicia Grosso, The Everything Soapmaking Book: Recipes and Techniques, page 125:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The children played a game with a colorful ____ that they rolled across the floor.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The floors of the palace were made of polished ____, which looked very elegant and also felt very cool.