† marlet Obs.
Also 6 -ett(e, 7 -ot.
[a. OF. merlette the heraldic martlet, app. a dim. of merle blackbird.]
A martin or martlet.
| 1556 Withals Dict. (1568) 5 a/1 A marlette, whiche is of the quantitee of a swalow, hauying no feete to go, but onely stumpes, cypsellus. 1578 Cooper Thesaurus, Cypselus,..a byrde called a marlett [ed. 1565 martlette]. 1605 Shakes. Macb. i. vi. 5 The Temple haunting Barlet [read Marlet]. ? 1645 C. Morton Enquiry in Harl. Misc. (1810) V. 499 The summer birds that breed here, as the nightingale, the cuckow, marlot, &c. Ibid. 505 The swallow swift and marlet are almost always flying. |