sweet marten

American  

noun

1. the European pine marten, Martes martes : trapped for its fur and now greatly reduced in number.

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sweet marten British  

noun

1. a name for the pine marten, referring to the fact that its scent glands produce a less offensive scent marker than that of the polecat (the foul marten or foumart)

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Etymology

Origin of sweet marten

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

They are among the most graceful of animals, and in place of the disagreeable scent which renders many of their tribe offensive, this creature possesses an odor which is quite agreeable, and for this reason is often called the sweet marten in contradistinction to the foul marten or pole cat of Britain, which is like unto our skunk in the disgusting stench which it exhales.

From Project Gutenberg