marble
B2Neutral to formal for the material; informal for the toy.
Definition
Meaning
A hard, smooth, usually variegated metamorphic rock that can be polished, often used in sculpture and architecture; also, a small ball of glass, stone, or similar material used in children's games.
A type of metamorphic rock formed from limestone; or figuratively, a quality or substance that resembles the smoothness, coldness, or variegated patterns of marble; also refers to a child's toy ball; (verb) to give a veined or mottled appearance.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable noun for the individual toy and an uncountable noun for the rock material. The adjective 'marble' is attributive only (e.g., marble statue).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences. Spelling is consistent. The game 'marbles' is played similarly, but regional slang for specific types of marbles may vary.
Connotations
Similar in both varieties: luxury, permanence, and artistry for the stone; childhood nostalgia for the toy.
Frequency
Comparable frequency. The material sense is more common in architecture/design contexts; the toy sense is universally recognized but less frequent in adult discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[have/play] + marbles[made/constructed/carved] + of/from + marble[verb] + [object] + on + marblemarble + [noun] (attributive)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “lose your marbles (go insane)”
- “marble-mouthed (speaking unclearly)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to high-end construction and interior design materials (e.g., 'The lobby features imported Italian marble.').
Academic
Used in geology, art history, and archaeology (e.g., 'The study analysed marble degradation from atmospheric pollutants.').
Everyday
Commonly refers to countertops, floors, or the children's game (e.g., 'We're choosing marble for the kitchen island.' / 'The kids are playing marbles in the alley.').
Technical
Specific types in geology (e.g., calcitic marble, dolomitic marble) or manufacturing (e.g., marbleizing paper, fabric).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The artisan will marble the paper using inks and oils.
- The old book's edges were marbled in green and gold.
American English
- She learned how to marble the fabric for a unique design.
- The cake batter was marbled with chocolate and vanilla.
adjective
British English
- They admired the marble fireplace in the old manor.
- The hotel lobby had a stunning marble staircase.
American English
- They installed a marble countertop in the new kitchen.
- The sculpture garden featured several marble figures.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The floor is made of marble.
- Children play with marbles.
- The ancient statue was carved from white marble.
- He keeps his favourite marbles in a leather bag.
- The architect specified Carrara marble for the cladding to ensure durability and aesthetic appeal.
- After the argument, I thought he'd completely lost his marbles.
- Geochemical analysis revealed the marble was sourced from a quarry in Thessaly, indicating extensive trade networks.
- The author's prose has a marbled quality, weaving together disparate narrative threads with seamless elegance.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine the famous **MAR**ble **BLE**achers in a Roman amphitheatre, made of smooth, cool stone.
Conceptual Metaphor
MARBLE IS PERMANENCE/VALUE (e.g., 'marble halls of justice'); MARBLE IS COLD/HARD (e.g., 'a heart of marble'); PATTERNS ARE MARBLE (e.g., 'marble cake', 'marble effect').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'мраморный' used only for the material; the toy is 'шарик' or 'марбл' (neologism).
- The idiom 'lose your marbles' does not relate to the Russian 'потерять шарики/мозги' directly.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'a marble' uncountably for the material (incorrect: 'a beautiful marble' instead of 'a beautiful piece of marble').
- Using plural 'marbles' to mean multiple types of marble material (usually uncountable: 'different marbles' is ambiguous).
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'to lose your marbles' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is uncountable when referring to the stone material (e.g., 'a slab of marble'). It is countable when referring to the small glass/stone toy (e.g., 'a bag of marbles').
Both are stones used in construction, but marble is a metamorphic rock derived from limestone, often veined and softer. Granite is an igneous rock, granular and typically harder, used for high-wear surfaces.
Yes, it means to give something a streaked or mottled appearance resembling marble, e.g., 'to marble paper' or 'marble cake'.
It is early 20th century slang, where 'marbles' was a colloquial term for 'mental faculties' or 'wits', possibly from the earlier phrase 'to have all one's marbles' meaning to be sane.