martlet

American  

[mahrt-lit] / ˈmɑrt lɪt /

noun

1. British Dialect. a house martin.

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

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martlet British  

/ ˈmɑːtlɪt /

noun

1. an archaic name for a martin

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

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Etymology

Origin of martlet

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

Example Sentences

This guest of summer,    The temple-haunting martlet, does              approve,    By his loved masonry that the              heaven's breath    Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze.

From The Writings of John Burroughs — Volume 05: Pepacton by Burroughs, John

On his road to and from Shottery, he would have passed "under the shade of melancholy boughs" and watched the "guest of summer, the Temple-haunting martlet," that built under the eaves of Anne Hathaway's house.

From William Shakespeare His Homes and Haunts by Forestier, A. (Amédée)

The martlet indicates both swallow and martin, and in the arms of the Cornish Arundels the martlets must stand for “hirundels” or swallows.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 3 "Helmont, Jean" to "Hernosand" by Various

This guest of summer,          The temple-haunting martlet, does approve,          By his lov'd mansionry, that heaven's breath          Smells wooingly here.

From The Works of Samuel Johnson, Volume 05 Miscellaneous Pieces by Johnson, Samuel

With a fine disregard of both ornithology and heraldry these birds have often been spoken of as martlets—the martlet appearing in the Byrd coat of arms.

From Virginia: the Old Dominion by Hutchins, Frank W.