marten
UK /ˈmɑː.tɪn/ · US /ˈmɑɹ.tən/ noun, proper noun
Forms martens
- noun Any carnivorous mammal of the genus Martes.
- proper noun A male given name.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English martren, martryn, from Old French martrine (“marten fur”), from Old Dutch *marthrīn (“of marten fur”), from *marthar (“marten”). Displaced related Old English mearþ, from Proto-Germanic *marþuz.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A bird. See Martin.
- noun Any one of several fur-bearing carnivores of the genus Mustela, closely allied to the sable. Among the more important species are the European beech, or stone, marten (Mustela foina); the pine marten (M. martes); and the American marten, or sable (M. Americana), which some zoölogists consider only a variety of the Russian sable.
- noun The fur of the marten, used for hats, muffs, etc.
Etymology [From older martern, marter, martre, F. martre, marte, LL. martures (pl.), fr. L. martes; akin to AS. mear, meard, G. marder, OHG. mardar, Icel. mör. Cf. Foumart.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “marten”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details