marten

What it means

1. Any carnivorous mammal of the genus Martes.

In a sentence

Towards the end of the month, swallows and house martens congregate, and are often seen resting on the ridges or sloping roofs of buildings.

1829, Magazine of Natural History, volume 1, page 402

Where it comes from

1. Old Dutch*marthrīn“of marten fur”
2. Old Frenchmartrine“marten fur”
3. Middle Englishmartren
4. Englishmarten

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.