marbles

mar·ble  (märbl)

n.

1.

a. A metamorphic rock formed by alteration of limestone or dolomite, often irregularly colored by impurities, and used especially in architecture and sculpture.

b. A piece of this rock.

c. A sculpture made from this rock.

2. Something resembling or suggesting metamorphic rock, as in being very hard, smooth, or cold: a heart of marble; a brow of marble.

3. Games

a. A small hard ball, usually of glass, used in children's games.

b. marbles (used with a sing. verb) Any of various games played with marbles.

4. marbles (used with a sing. verb) Slang Common sense; sanity: completely lost his marbles after the stock market crash.

5. Marbling.

tr.v. mar·bled, mar·bling, mar·bles

To mottle and streak (paper, for example) with colors and veins in imitation of marble.

adj.

1. Composed of metamorphic rock: a marble hearth.

2. Resembling metamorphic rock in consistency, texture, venation, color, or coldness.

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[Middle English, from Old French marbre, from Latin marmor, from Greek marmaros.]

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marbly adj.

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marbles [ˈmɑːb^əlz]

n

1. (Group Games / Games, other than specified) (functioning as singular) a game in which marbles are rolled at one another, similar to bowls

2. (functioning as plural) Informal wits to lose one's marbles

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	marbles - a children's game played with little balls made of a hard substance (as glass) child's game - a game enjoyed by children
	2.	marbles - the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception; "he used his wits to get ahead"; "I was scared out of my wits"; "he still had all his marbles and was in full possession of a lively mind" wits intelligence - the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience