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.
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, 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.
