/mahr"muyt, mahr meet"/ , n.
a metal or earthenware cooking pot with a cover, usually large and often having legs.
[ 1795-1805; mar ( m )-, base of marmotter to mutter, murmur (see MARMOT) + mite expressive word for a cat; prob. orig. a jocular or nursery word, a deep, covered pot being thought of as secretive and hence catlike in comparison to an open pan; cf. OF marmite hypocritical ]