noun (plural marten or martens) Etymology: Middle English martryn, from Anglo-French martrine marten fur, from Old French martre marten, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English mearth marten Date: 13th century any of several semiarboreal slender-bodied carnivorous mammals (genus Martes ) of the weasel family that occur in the northern hemisphere, the fur or pelt of a marten
