Marble Is Limestone That Has Been Cooked
Marble is a stone used in sculpture. It forms when limestone is transformed by heat and pressure deep underground.
Marble is a metamorphic rock formed when limestone is subjected to heat and pressure. The transformation recrystallises the calcite, producing the interlocking grains that let marble take a polish and carve cleanly in any direction. The Greek name means a shining stone, from a verb meaning to flash or sparkle.
- A metamorphic stone. *Carrara marble.*
- A glass ball for play. *A bag of marbles.*
- Lose your marbles — to become confused. *He has lost his marbles.*
- Marbled — patterned like marble. *Marbled paper.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | marble | White marble. |
| Plural | marbles | Playing marbles. |
| Adjective | marbled | Marbled beef. |
| Related | limestone | Grey limestone. |
| Related | calcite | Crystalline calcite. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Michelangelo used Carrara marble.From Tuscany.
- Marble is metamorphosed limestone.Geology.
- He lost his marbles.Informal: became confused.
Marble facts
- Metamorphic — recrystallised limestone
- Carrara — the Italian quarries used since Roman times
- Veining — caused by mineral impurities
- Acid sensitive — marble is damaged by acidic cleaners and rain
- Elgin Marbles — Parthenon sculptures, and a long-running dispute
From Old French *marbre*, from Latin *marmor*, from Greek *marmaros*, a shining stone, from *marmairein*, to flash.
Why does marble polish so well?
Because metamorphism produces interlocking calcite crystals with no bedding planes, so the surface takes a uniform finish.
Where does *lose your marbles* come from?
Its origin is uncertain. A connection with the children's game is the usual explanation, but nothing has been established.