Meanings
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1
noun
a loose earthy deposit made chiefly of clay and calcium carbonate, often containing shell fragments
The fossil layer lay between bands of chalk and pale marl.
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2
verb
to spread marl on soil as a fertilizer or conditioner
Farmers once marled the acidic fields to improve their fertility.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English marle and Anglo-French marle, from Medieval Latin margila, a diminutive related to Latin marga, 'marl,' probably borrowed from a Gaulish word. The agricultural verb arose from using the calcareous earth to improve soil.