marl

1
[ mahrl ]
See synonyms for marl on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Geology. a friable earthy deposit consisting of clay and calcium carbonate, used especially as a fertilizer for soils deficient in lime.

  2. Archaic. earth.

verb (used with object)
  1. to fertilize with marl.

Origin of marl

1
1325–75; Middle English marle<Middle Dutch <Old French <Medieval Latin margila, diminutive of Latin marga, said to be <Gaulish

Other words from marl

  • mar·la·cious [mahr-ley-shuhs], /mɑrˈleɪ ʃəs/, marly, adjective

Other definitions for marl (2 of 2)

marl2
[ mahrl ]

verb (used with object)Nautical.
  1. to wind (a rope) with marline, every turn being secured by a hitch.

Origin of marl

2
1400–50; late Middle English marlyn to ensnare; akin to Old English mārels cable. See moor2

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for marl (1 of 2)

marl1

/ (mɑːl) /


noun
  1. a fine-grained sedimentary rock consisting of clay minerals, calcite or aragonite, and silt: used as a fertilizer

verb
  1. (tr) to fertilize (land) with marl

Origin of marl

1
C14: via Old French, from Late Latin margila, diminutive of Latin marga

Derived forms of marl

  • marlacious (mɑːˈleɪʃəs) or marly, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for marl (2 of 2)

marl2

/ (mɑːl) /


verb
  1. nautical to seize (a rope) with marline, using a hitch at each turn

Origin of marl

2
C15 marlyn to bind; related to Dutch marlen to tie, Old English mārels cable

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for marl

marl

[ märl ]


  1. A crumbly mixture of clays, calcium and magnesium carbonates, and remnants of shells that forms in both freshwater and marine environments.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.