Mar"ble , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Marbled (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. Marbling (?).]
[Cf. F.
marbrer. See Marble, n.]
To stain or vein like
marble; to variegate in color; as, to
marble the edges of a book, or the surface of paper.
Mar"ble , a.
1. Made of,
or resembling, marble; as, a marble mantel; marble paper.
2. Cold; hard; unfeeling; as, a marble breast or heart.
Mar"ble (mär"b'l), n. [OE. marbel, marbre, F. marbre, L. marmor, fr.
Gr. ma`rmaros, fr. marmai`rein to sparkle, flash. Cf. Marmoreal.]
1. A massive, compact limestone; a variety of
calcite, capable of being polished and used for architectural and ornamental purposes. The color varies from white to
black, being sometimes yellow, red, and green, and frequently beautifully veined or clouded. The name is also given to
other rocks of like use and
appearance, as serpentine or verd antique marble, and less properly to polished porphyry, granite,
etc.
&fist; Breccia marble consists
of limestone fragments
cemented together. -- Ruin marble, when polished, shows forms
resembling ruins, due to disseminated iron oxide. -- Shell marble contains fossil
shells. -- Statuary marble is a
pure, white, fine-grained kind, including Parian
(from Paros) and Carrara
marble. If coarsely granular it is called saccharoidal.
2. A thing made of, or resembling, marble, as a work of art, or record, in
marble; or, in the plural, a collection of such works; as, the Arundel or Arundelian marbles; the Elgin marbles.
3.
A little ball of marble, or of
some other hard substance, used as a plaything by children; or, in the plural, a child's game
played with marbles.
&fist; Marble is also much
used in self-explaining
compounds; when used figuratively in compounds it commonly means, hard, cold, destitute of compassion or feeling; as, marble- breasted, marble-faced, marble-hearted.
Hear it pronounced