Meaning of Marbles | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Any of several children's games played with small balls (made of marble or more commonly glass).
   plural, plural-only
2. Sanity.
   figuratively, plural, plural-only
3. Bits of rolled-up rubber shed by the tires of race cars that accumulate at the edges of the track, especially at the corners.
   plural, plural-only

Equivalents

Examples

“Egyptian boys played marbles before the days of Moses.”

“Grandpa's lost his marbles, but at least he still recognizes us.”

“Granny's still got all her marbles.”

“His lack of marbles is becoming ever more apparent.”

““A nice imbroglio you've landed me in. Thanks to you ...” “Yes, sir.” “Don't say ‘Yes, sir.’ Thanks to you I have been widely publicized as off my rocker.” “Not widely, sir. Merely to your immediate circle now resident at Brinkley Court.” “You have held me up at the bar of world opinion as a man who has not got all his marbles.” “It was not easy to think of an alternative scheme, sir.””

“There are times when you are certain that the person speaking to you has completely misplaced his marbles. As I leaned away in reaction I felt confident […] Ed had lost his.”

“—Her daddy's crazy. […] Think she's looking for something? —Treasure, I expect. That or maybe her daddy's marbles.”

“Some corners are littered with marbles, off the racing line.”

“Marbles were among the treasures found buried in the ruins of Pompeii.”

CEFR level