marble

Definition

A metamorphic rock of crystalline limestone.

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.

Example Sentences

• "Open thy marble jaws, O tomb / And hide me, earth, in thy dark womb."
• "The Elgin Marbles were originally part of the temple of the Parthenon."
• "[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."