a bird. see martin.-any one of several fur-bearing carnivores of the genus mustela, closely allied to the sable. among the more important species are the european beech, or stone, marten (mustela foina); the pine marten (m. martes); and the american marten, or sable (m. americana), which some zoologists consider only a variety of the russian sable.-the fur of the marten, used for hats, muffs, etc.