marten

noun

mar·​ten ˈmär-tᵊn 

plural marten or martens

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

Examples of marten in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At the same time, marten populations shot up and the researchers began to see their scat in new areas. —Siddhant Pusdekar, Journal Sentinel, 5 July 2024

This acquisition will improve the habitat for Wisconsin’s endangered American marten, which has been facing a dwindling habitat. —Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024

With their larger competitors out of the way, the smaller, less numerous martens had some breathing room. —Siddhant Pusdekar, Journal Sentinel, 5 July 2024

For the last eight years, Pauli has been studying American martens on the island. —Siddhant Pusdekar, Journal Sentinel, 5 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English martryn, from Anglo-French martrine marten fur, from Old French martre marten, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English mearth marten

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing marten

• baum marten
• pine marten

Rhymes for marten

• carton
• garten
• parton
• quartan
• spartan
• tartan
• kindergarten

Kids Definition

marten

noun

mar·​ten ˈmärt-ᵊn 

plural marten or martens

: a slender flesh-eating mammal that is larger than the related weasels and has soft gray or brown fur

also : its fur