First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
marten
noun mar·ten \ˈmär-tən\
: a small animal that is related to the weasel and has soft gray or brown fur
: the fur of a marten
plural marten or martens
Full Definition of MARTEN
1
: any of several semiarboreal slender-bodied carnivorous mammals (genus Martes) of the weasel family that occur in the northern hemisphere
2
: the fur or pelt of a marten
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Origin of MARTEN
Middle English martryn, from Anglo-French martrine marten fur, from Old French martre marten, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English mearth marten
MARTEN Defined for Kids
marten
noun mar·ten \ˈmär-tən\
Definition of MARTEN for Kids
: a slender animal related to the weasel that has soft gray or brown fur and often climbs trees
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