/mahr"tn/ , n.
any of several swallows having a deeply forked tail and long, pointed wings. Cf. house martin, purple martin .
[ 1425-75; late ME (Scots) martoune; presumably generic use of the personal name ( Martinus ), traditionally by assoc. with March (L Martius ), when the bird arrives, and Martinmas, when it leaves; though ME, OF martinet has been applied to a variety of birds; cf. F martin-pêcheur kingfisher ]