The word "marble" derives from the Ancient Greek (mármaron), from (mármaros), "crystalline rock, shining stone", perhaps from the verb (marmaírō), "to flash, sparkle, gleam". Most marble forms at convergent plate boundaries where large areas of Earth's crust are exposed to regional metamorphism. Some marble also forms by contact metamorphism when a hot magma body heats adjacent limestone or dolostone. Before metamorphism, the calcite in the limestone is often in the form of lithified fossil material and biological debris. During metamorphism, this calcite recrystallizes and the texture of the rock changes. In the early stages of the limestone-to-marble transformation, the calcite crystals in the rock are very small. In a freshly-broken hand specimen, they might only be recognized as a sugary sparkle of light reflecting from their tiny cleavage faces when the rock is played in the light. 

Marble is often crushed and used for acid neutralization in streams, lakes, and soils. Powdered marble is used as an inert filler in other pills. The translucence of marble makes it especially attractive for many types of sculptures. White marble has been prized for its use in sculptures since classical times. It is also used as a low-hardness abrasive for scrubbing bathroom and kitchen fixtures. It is also used as floor tiles, architectural panels, facing stone, window sills, stair treads, columns, and many other pieces of decorative stone. It is used for its beauty in architecture and sculpture. It is used for its chemical properties in pharmaceuticals and agriculture. It is used for its optical properties in cosmetics, paint, and paper.