mart

plural marts

1. CanadaPhilippinesUSin compoundsusuallyA shop, a store, a market.

   FedMart, Walmart, Kmart, Kwik-E-Mart

2. A bazaar, fair, market, or marketplace.

   In that day, drovers would drive their cattle to the marts on the coast.

   5 more examples

   Their facility is one of the largest livestock auction marts in the Scottish Highlands.

   Come out of it my Soul, thou art not fit For this vile traffic-house, where day by day Wisdom and reverence are sold at mart, And the rude people rage with ignorant cries Against an heritage of centuries. It mars my calm: wherefore in dreams of Art And loftiest culture I would stand apart, Neither for God, nor for his enemies.

   a. 1881, Oscar Wilde, 'Theoretikos', in Poems

   Perhaps ſome Merchant hath inuited him, And from the Mart he's ſomewhere gone to dinner: Good Siſter let vs dine, and neuer fret; A man is Maſter of his libertie:

   c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 87

   And by great waters the seede of Sihor, the haruest of the riuer is her reuenew, and she is a mart of nations.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 23:3

   In London; where has commerce ſuch a mart, So rich, ſo throng'd, ſo drain'd, and ſo ſupplied, As London, opulent, enlarged, and ſtill Increaſing, London?

   1785, William Cowper, “Book I. The Sofa.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 38

3. obsoleteA bargain.

   Faith Gentlemen now I play a marchants part, And venture madly on a deſperate Mart.

   c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 217, column 2

present singular third person marts · participle present marting · participle past marted · past marted

1. obsoletetransitiveTo buy or sell in, or as in a mart.

   To sell and mart your officer for gold To undeservers.

   1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]

2. obsoletetransitiveTo traffic.

plural marts

1. obsoleteA battle; a contest.

1. historicaluncountableA marque (chiefly used in the phrase letters of mart).

plural marts

1. A head of feeder cattle or fattened cattle (usually the latter).
2. broadlythe animal or its meatSalt beef.

1. A diminutive of the male given name Martin.

   He looked at me when introduced and said “Mart's boy!” 'I was in fact Martin's grandson, but didn't bother splitting hairs — […]

   2015, Deborah Coddington, The Good Life On Te Muna Road

2. Romanhuman sciencesMars, god of war.