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• martin
  martin

  noun

  any of several swallows having a deeply forked tail and long, pointed wings.
• Martin
  Martin

  noun

  Archer John Porter 1910–2002, English biochemist: Nobel Prize in chemistry 1952.

martin

¹ American  

[mahr-tn] / ˈmɑr tn /

noun

• martins
  plural

1. any of several swallows having a deeply forked tail and long, pointed wings.

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Martin ² American  

[mahr-tn] / ˈmɑr tn /

noun

1. Archer John Porter 1910–2002, English biochemist: Nobel Prize in chemistry 1952.

2. Frank, 1890–1974, Swiss composer.

3. Glenn Luther, 1886–1955, U.S. airplane designer and manufacturer.

4. Homer Dodge, 1836–97, U.S. painter.

5. Joseph W(illiam) Jr., 1884–1968, U.S. political leader and publisher: Speaker of the House 1947–49, 1953–55.

6. Mary, 1913–90, U.S. actress and musical comedy star.

7. Saint, a.d. 316?–397, French prelate: bishop of Tours 370?–397.

8. a male given name: from the name of the Roman god Mars.

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Martin ¹ British  

/ ˈmɑːtɪn /

noun

1. Archer John Porter. 1910–2002, British biochemist; Nobel prize for chemistry 1952 (with Richard Synge; 1914–94) for developing paper chromatography (1944). He subsequently developed gas chromatography (1953)

2. Chris(topher Anthony John) . born 1977, British rock musician, lead singer of Coldplay; married to the US actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

3. Frank. 1890–1974, Swiss composer. He used a modified form of the twelve-note technique in some of his works, which include Petite Symphonie Concertante (1946) and the oratorio Golgotha (1949)

4. Sir George ( Henry ). born 1926, British record producer and arranger, noted for his work with the Beatles

5. John. 1789–1854, British painter, noted for his visionary landscapes and large-scale works with biblical subjects

6. Michael ( John ). Baron. born 1945, Scottish Labour politician; speaker of the House of Commons (2000–09)

7. Paul ( Edgar Philippe ). born 1938, Canadian Liberal politician; prime minister of Canada (2003–06)

8. Saint. called Saint Martin of Tours. ?316–?397 _ad , bishop of Tours (?371–?397); a patron saint of France. He furthered monasticism in Gaul. Feast day: Nov 11 or 12

9. Steve ( n ). born 1945, US film actor and comedian; his films include The Jerk (1979), Roxanne (1987), and Bowfinger ) (1999)

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martin ² British  

/ ˈmɑːtɪn /

noun

1. any of various swallows of the genera Progne, Delichon, Riparia, etc, having a square or slightly forked tail See also house martin

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• martins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of martin

1425–75; late Middle English ( Scots ) martoune; presumably generic use of the personal name (< French < Late Latin Martīnus ), traditionally by association with March ( Latin Mārtius ), when the bird arrives, and Martinmas, when it leaves; though Middle English, Old French martinet has been applied to a variety of birds; compare French martin-pêcheur kingfisher

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

martin Martin martins

James told that Raven is the one who did not want to be born on martin skins and thus into luxury.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 21, 2019

Before he even parked, Prum was calling out the names of birds he glimpsed or heard through the car window: osprey, purple martin, red-winged blackbird.

From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2019

Jack Reakoff, a trapper who hunts wolf, fox, lynx, martin and wolverine, gave us an entertaining spin on life where it’s below freezing for seven months and in the ­minus-40s for weeks on end.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 7, 2016

Black slave communities began to follow suit, and eventually the practice of erecting martin houses was adopted nationwide.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 27, 2013

The martin, the American sable, with its fluffy pelage.

From The Story of Sitka The Historic Outpost of the Northwest Coast by Andrews, Clarence Leroy

Black clergy in the city, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, are redoubling their efforts to mobilize voters.

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

Araujo is under contract until 2031 but only made 11 league starts last season, with Gerard Martin and Pau Cubarsi emerging as their preferred central defensive pairing.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

It’s possible those demoralized job seekers are pushing the participation rate lower, said Martin of Oxford Economics.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

Martin says he fears “the worst may be yet to come” as he opened up about the personal challenges that ran parallel to a year of professional highs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

“So if we are not to be graced with your presence,” said Mrs. Martin, “whom are you suggesting?”

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Or purple martins: large, fast aerial insectivores for whom my roomy nylon tent would be a prison.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025

The zoo’s community science programs organize people tromping around marshes in search of amphibian eggs and monitoring nesting purple martins along the Tacoma waterfront.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2024

In Europe, parallel declines of insectivorous swallows, house martins and swifts have all been linked to insect declines.

From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2023

He often said that he was part Cherokee; the name Clu came from “clu-clu,” a Cherokee word for the birds, known in English as martins, that were nesting at the Gulager home.

From New York Times ● Aug. 7, 2022

Preparing for their journey south, the martins flapped and fretted in the eaves, and, from the blanket of mist hovering over the lake, I heard the harsh, lonely cry of the mallards.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt