marten

American  

[mahr-tn] / ˈmɑr tn /

noun

martens plural

1. any of several slender, chiefly arboreal carnivores of the genus Martes, of northern forests, having a long, glossy coat and bushy tail.

2. the fur of such an animal, generally a dark brown.

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marten British  

/ ˈmɑːtɪn /

noun

1. any of several agile arboreal musteline mammals of the genus Martes, of Europe, Asia, and North America, having bushy tails and golden brown to blackish fur See also pine marten

2. the highly valued fur of these animals, esp that of M. americana

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• marten
  plural
• martens
  plural

Etymology

Origin of marten

1375–1425; < Middle Low German, equivalent to mart marten (cognate with Old English mearth ) + -en -en ⁵; replacing late Middle English martren < Middle French martrine marten fur, noun use of feminine of martrin pertaining to a marten, equivalent to martre marten (< Germanic; compare German Marder ) + -in -in ¹

Example Sentences

The project has asked people to report if they see a pine marten to help with ongoing tracking operations.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Pine marten researchers Johnny Birks and John Martin are trying to establish if pine martens can thrive in productive timber forests.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2024

Sixteen of those species are considered species of management concern, such as the great gray owl, wolverine, Pacific marten, and northern rubber boa.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2023

Servheen and Lamb also recommended delaying the marten trapping season until early December, after most grizzlies will have gone into hibernation, but these changes have not been implemented.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 2, 2022

Now she knew why the marten had horns, and why his twin was shown on the page of a book.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke