marathon
people enter, including many ordinary people as well as professional runners. The marathon is also an event in the Olympic Games. → see also LONDON MARATHON
2 an activity that tests one's power over a long time: The meeting was a bit of a marathon. | a dance marathon
marathon² adj [A] very long or needing much effort for a long time: a marathon speech of six hours | It was a marathon job addressing all those envelopes.
ma·raud·ing /mə'rɔ:dɪŋ/ adj moving around in search of something to steal, burn, or destroy: They were attacked by marauding tribesmen. →er n
Mar·bel·la /mɑ:'berə,lɔ:r-/ a port and holiday RESORT on the COSTA DEL SOL, on the southern coast of Spain
mar·ble /'mɑ:bəl||'mɑ:r-/ n 1 [U] a sort of white or irregularly coloured LIMESTONE that is hard, cold to touch, smooth when polished, and used for buildings, STATUES, gravestones etc 2 [C] a small hard ball of usually coloured glass used in the game of MARBLES
Marble 'Arch a large white stone ARCH in central London, where several big roads meet, including Oxford Street and Park Lane. It was built to celebrate the military victories of NELSON: Turn left at Marble Arch and go up Edgware Road.
mar·bled /'mɑ:bəld||'mɑ:r-/ adj marked with irregular colours and lines like some kinds of MARBLE
mar·bles /'mɑ:bəlz||'mɑ:r-/ n 1 [U] a game in which small hard glass balls are rolled along the ground towards each other; it is usually played by small children, especially boys 2 [P] humor one's reason or good sense: He hasn't got all his marbles/ has lost his marbles. (=is mad) → see also ELGIN MARBLES
mar·ca·site /'mɑ:kəsaɪt||'mɑ:r-/ n [U] a metal that can be cut and polished to look rather like diamonds and is used for making a shiny sort of cheap jewellery
Mar·ceau, Mar·cel /mɑ:'səʊ||mɑ:r-, mɑ:r'sel||mɑ:r-/ (1923-) a French MIME artist (=an actor who does not speak, but uses his body and face to communicate) known for performing with his face painted white
march¹ /mɑ:tʃ||mɑ:rtʃ/ v 1 [I] to walk with firm regular steps like a soldier: The soldiers marched along the road. | 'Squad, quick march!' (=start marching) shouted the sergeant-major. | She was very angry and marched out (of the shop). | (fig.) Time marches on. (=advances regularly and quickly and cannot be turned back) 2 [T] to cover (a distance) by marching: We'd marched 20 miles by sunset. 3 [T+obj+adv/prep] to force to go, especially on foot: The police marched him off to prison. → see also FROGMARCH →er n: thousands of marchers on a demonstration
march² n 1 [C;U] (an act of) marching: The soldiers had a long march in front of them to reach the camp before nightfall. | They had to make a forced march (=hurried and tiring march) of three days to reach the safety of the city. | They paraded past at a march. (=marching) | Our armies are on the march. (=have started marching) | (fig.) Science is on the march. (=is advancing and improving) | (fig.) We cannot resist the march (=regular forward movement) of time. 2 [C] a piece of music played with a regular beat (as if) in time with marching feet → see also WEDDING MARCH 3 [C] the distance covered while marching in a certain period of time: Our destination is a day's march away. 4 [C] an act of walking by a large number of people from one place to another to show their opinions or dissatisfactions: a peace march → see also MARCHES, steal a march on (STEAL¹)
March written abbrev. Mar. n [C;U] the third month of the year, between February and April: in March The theatre opened in March 2001. | last/next March She started work here last March. | on March 6th etc The meeting will be on March 6th. | on (the) 6th March (BrE) I wrote to you on 6th March | March 6 (AmE) The hospital is scheduled to open March 6.
CULTURAL NOTE In the UK and northern US, March is thought of as the first month of spring, when flowers, especially DAFFODILs, begin to appear. There is an old saying that 'March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb', meaning that March begins with cold windy weather and ends with warmer weather.
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mar·ches /'mɑ:tʃɪz||'mɑ:rtʃ-/ n [P] (often cap. as part of a name) a border area, especially between Scotland or Wales and England: the Welsh Marches
March 'Hare, the a character in the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis CARROLL. He is a mad HARE who talks nonsense. → see also ALICE IN WONDERLAND, MAD HATTER
'marching ,band n a group of people playing musical instruments while they walk, all moving their legs at the same time with the beat of the music: a Thanksgiving parade with a marching band | She plays the tuba in a marching band.
'marching ,orders BrE || walking papers AmE — n [P] infml official notice that one must leave: He will get/ The boss will give him his marching orders if he keeps being late like this.
'Marching ,Season, the the period during the summer when various political and religious groups in Northern Ireland have PARADES (=when they march through the streets, often playing drums and pipes).
mar·chio·ness /'mɑ:ʃənɪs||'mɑ:r-/ n 1 the wife of a MARQUIS 2 a noblewoman with the rank of a MARQUIS
Marchioness, the a large boat which had been rented for a private birthday party when it was hit by another boat and sunk in the River THAMES in London in 1989, killing 51 passengers. As a result of the accident, the rules for boats operating in the Thames were made stricter.
March 'Madness n [U] a period of time in the US in March when there is a TOURNAMENT between a lot of men's college BASKETBALL teams, who play against each other until one team wins
March of 'Dimes, the a US CHARITY organization that collects money for children, especially those with serious mental or physical disabilities (DISABILITY)
'march-past n a ceremonial march of soldiers past a person or place of importance: The Royal Family came onto the balcony to watch the march-past
Mar·ci·a·no, Rocky /,mɑ:si':ɑ:nəʊ||,mɑ:rsi'æ-/ (1923-69) a US BOXER who was world HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION from 1952 to 1956. He gave up boxing in 1956, and is the only world heavyweight champion who was never beaten.
Mar·co·ni /mɑ:'kəʊni||mɑ:r-/ trademark a company which makes electrical, electronic, and TELECOMMUNICATIONS products
Marconi, Gu·gliel·mo /gul'jelməʊ/ (1874-1937) an Italian electrical engineer who is generally thought of as the inventor of radio. He invented the method of sending radio signals called 'wireless telegraphy'. Before this, it had only been possible to send messages along wires. He won the NOBEL PRIZE for physics in 1909.
Marco Polo → see POLO, MARCO
Mar·cos, Fer·di·nand /'mɑ:kɒs||'mɑ:rkɑs, 'fɜ:dɪnənd||'fɜ:r-/ (1917-89) the President of the Philippines from 1965 until he was forced to leave the country in 1986. He and his wife Imelda were very wealthy and known for their expensive way of life.
Marcos, I·mel·da /ɪ'meldə/ (1930-) the wife of President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, who left the country with him in 1986 when he was removed from power. In 1991 she returned to the Philippines, and was charged with stealing government money. She was found guilty but was later cleared by a higher court, and became a member of the country's parliament. People sometimes make jokes about the fact that she once owned hundreds of pairs of shoes.
Mar·cu·se, Herbert /mɑ:'ku:zə||mɑ:r-/ (1898-1979) a US PHILOSOPHER and writer on politics, born in Germany, who was especially popular in the 1960s. He wrote about the bad effects on people of modern economic ideas, industry, and science.
Mar·di Gras /,mɑ:di 'grɑ:||'mɑ:rdi grɑ:/ (a CARNIVAL period held in some countries on or around the time of) the day before the first day of Lent; SHROVE TUESDAY
CULTURAL NOTE In the US, the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, holds a famous Mardi Gras celebration which many people travel to see. → see colour photo on page A17