martlet

[ mahrt-lit ]

/ ˈmɑrt lɪt /

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noun

British Dialect. a house martin.

Heraldry. a representation of a swallow close and without legs, used especially as the cadency mark of a fourth son.

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Origin of martlet

1530–40; <Middle French martelet, variant of martinet;see martin, -et

Words nearby martlet

Martinsburg, Martinson, Martinsville, Martinů, Martin V, martlet, martnet, martyr, martyrdom, martyrium, martyrize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use martlet in a sentence

No, mother; old Ben Martlet said something of that kind to me this morning.
The Young Castellan|George Manville Fenn
Martlet and I both feel that we must have the north-west tower.
The Young Castellan|George Manville Fenn
The Swallow, as distinct from the martlet, is sometimes met with.
A Complete Guide to Heraldry|Arthur Charles Fox-Davies
Most heraldry books state also that the martlet has no beak.
A Complete Guide to Heraldry|Arthur Charles Fox-Davies

Gates of wrought iron, with perhaps a martlet from the Byrd coat of arms above them, swung between tall pillars in the wall.
Virginia: The Old Dominion|Frank W. Hutchins and Cortelle Hutchins

British Dictionary definitions for martlet

martlet

/ (ˈmɑːtlɪt) /

noun

an archaic name for a martin

heraldry a footless bird often found in coats of arms, standing for either a martin or a swallow

Word Origin for martlet

C16: from French martelet, variant of martinet, diminutive of martin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012