martlet

English

A martlet as depicted in English heraldry, here with tincture sable

Etymology

From Middle English martilet, probably a blend of martinet (“martin”; from Middle French martinet and Medieval Latin martineta) and Middle French merlet.

Noun

martlet (plural martlets)

1. (obsolete) A bird, the martin.
   • 1862, William Tiler, The Natural History of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects, &c:

     “As in a drought the thirsty creatures cry,
     And gape upon the gather'd clouds for rain;
     Then, first, the Martlet meets it in the sky,
     And, with wet wings, joys all the feather'd train.”

2. (heraldry) A depiction of a bird similar to a house martin or swallow with stylized feet.

Synonyms

• merlion (rare)

Translations

depiction of a mythological bird

• Dutch: merlet f
• Finnish: jalaton pääsky
• French: merlette (fr) f
• Galician: merleta f
• German: Merlette f
• Italian: merlotto (it) m
• Komi-Permyak: джыдж (džydž)
• Portuguese: merleta f
• Russian: мартлет (martlet)
• Spanish: merleta f
• Swedish: martlet c, merlett c

See also

• merlette (“mythological bird in French heraldry depicted with no beak or feet”)

Further reading

• martlet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Marlett