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

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

Wolverines are in the Mustelidae family, a group of carnivorous mammals, along with weasels, mink, marten and otters, according got the National Park Service. —Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 29 Nov. 2023

In North America, the loss of large, old-growth trees could reduce the ranks of forest specialists, such as martens and fishers, members of the weasel family that den inside tree hollows. —Emily Anthes, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2023

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

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