Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - marble

n. & v. --n. 1 limestone in a metamorphic crystalline (or granular) state, and capable of taking a polish, used in sculpture and architecture. 2 (often attrib.) a anything made of marble (a marble clock). b anything resembling marble in hardness, coldness, durability, etc. (her features were marble). 3 a a small ball of marble, glass, clay, etc., used as a toy. b (in pl.; treated as sing.) a game using these. 4 (in pl.) sl. one's mental faculties (he's lost his marbles). 5 (in pl.) a collection of sculptures (Elgin Marbles). --v.tr. 1 (esp. as marbled adj.) stain or colour (paper, the edges of a book, soap, etc.) to look like variegated marble. 2 (as marbled adj.) (of meat) streaked with alternating layers of lean and fat. Phrases and idioms marble cake a cake with a mottled appearance, made of light and dark sponge. Derivatives marbly adj. Etymology: ME f. OF marbre, marble, f. L marmor f. Gk marmaros shining stone