What does "marble" mean?

Marble: 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.

Additional senses

  1. 2.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. Note: 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.
  2. 3.Made of, or resembling, marble; as, a marble mantel; marble paper.
  3. 4.Cold; hard; unfeeling; as, a marble breast or heart.
  4. 5.To stain or vein like marble; to variegate in color; as, to marble the edges of a book, or the surface of paper.

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