Meanings
plural martlets
- obsoleteA bird, the martin.
“As in a drought the thirsty creatures cry, And gape upon the gather'd clouds for rain; Then, first, the Martlet meets it in the sky, And, with wet wings, joys all the feather'd train.”
1862, William Tiler, The Natural History of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects, &c
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Middle Frenchmerlet
- Medieval Latinmartineta
- Middle Frenchmartinet
- Middle Englishmartilet
- Englishmartlet
From Middle English martilet, probably a blend of martinet (“martin”; from Middle French martinet and Medieval Latin martineta) and Middle French merlet.
More words from Middle English, Middle French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch merlet
- merletdepiction of a mythological bird
Finnish jalaton pääsky
- jalaton pääskydepiction of a mythological bird
French merlette
- merlettedepiction of a mythological bird
German Merlette
- Merlettedepiction of a mythological bird
Italian merlotto
- merlottodepiction of a mythological bird
Portuguese merleta
- merletadepiction of a mythological bird
Russian мартлет
- мартлет (martlet)depiction of a mythological bird
Spanish merleta
- merletadepiction of a mythological bird
Swedish martlet, merlett
- martletdepiction of a mythological bird
- merlettdepiction of a mythological bird
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
martlet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/martlet
“martlet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/martlet. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “martlet,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/martlet.
Source: martlet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.