Bemarbled

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Covered or adorned with patterns resembling marble ; having a surface mottled or streaked in imitation of marble ; decorated with designs that suggest the appearance of marble
2. Exhibiting a finish that looks like marble stone ; marked by streaks or veins evocative of marble ; featuring ornamentation that copies the visual texture of marble
3. Bearing marble-like veining on its outside ; displaying coloration or pattern that mimics marble ; embellished to present a marbled or stone-like look

Etymology: "Bemarbled" is a plain formation: the prefix "be-", meaning "over" or "all about" in its old sense, attached to "marble," with the "-ed" ending that turns a noun into an adjective describing something so treated. Literally, a bemarbled surface is one that has had marble-like markings laid over it. The base word "marble" comes from Old French "marbre," itself from Latin "marmor," borrowed from Greek "marmaros," meaning a shining stone. The "be-" prefix, once a productive way to make verbs and adjectives with the sense of covering or affecting something thoroughly, is the same element found in "bedaub" and "befoul." Writers used this pattern freely, so "bemarbled" follows an established English habit rather than marking a single invention. Because the word is built transparently from familiar parts, its meaning is easy to read off its form: whatever has been dressed to look like veined stone, from paper endpapers to painted walls, is bemarbled.