n.
Pronunciation: ' mär-b ə l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French marbre, from Latin marmor, from Greek marmaros
Date: 12th century
1 a : limestone that is more or less crystallized by metamorphism, that ranges from granular to compact in texture, that is capable of taking a high polish, and that is used especially in architecture and sculpture b : something (as a piece of sculpture) composed of or made from marble c : something suggesting marble (as in hardness, coldness, or smoothness) <a heart of marble >
2 a : a little ball made of a hard substance (as glass) and used in various games b plural but singular in construction : any of several games played with these little balls c plural : the rewards to be won in competition especially for a championship ― used in the phrase all the marbles <a game being played for all the marble s >
3 : MARBLING
4 plural : elements of common sense especially : SANITY <persons who are born without all their marble s ― Arthur Miller>
– marble adjective