But peaceful kings, o'er martial people set, Each other's poise and
counterbalance are.
Dryden.
3. Belonging to war, or to an army and navy; -- opposed to civil; as,
martial law; a court- martial.
4. Pertaining to, or resembling, the god, or the planet, Mars. Sir T.
Browne.
5. (Old Chem. & Old Med.) Pertaining to, or containing, iron;
chalybeate; as, martial preparations. [Archaic]
Martial flowers (Med.), a reddish crystalline salt of iron; the
ammonio-chloride of iron. [Obs.] - - Martial law, the law administered
by the military power of a government when it has superseded the civil
authority in time of war, or when the civil authorities are unable to
enforce the laws. It is distinguished from military law, the latter
being the code of rules for the regulation of the army and navy alone,
either in peace or in war.
Syn. -- Martial, Warlike. Martial refers more to war in action, its
array, its attendants, etc.; as, martial music, a martial appearance, a
martial array, courts-martial, etc. Warlike describes the feeling or
temper which leads to war, and the adjuncts of war; as, a warlike
nation, warlike indication, etc. The two words are often used without
discrimination.
Mar"tial*ism (?), n. The quality of being warlike; exercises suitable
for war. [Obs.]
Mar"tial*ist, n. A warrior. [Obs.] Fuller.
Mar"tial*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Martialized (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Martializing (?).] To render warlike; as, to martialize a people.
Mar"tial*ly, adv. In a martial manner.
Mar"tial*ness, n. The quality of being martial.
Mar"tin (?), n. (Stone Working) [Etymol. uncertain.] A perforated
stone-faced runner for grinding.
Mar"tin, n. [F. martin, from the proper name Martin. Cf. Martlet.]
(Zoöl.) One of several species of swallows, usually having the tail
less deeply forked than the tail of the common swallows. [Written also
marten.]
The American purple martin, or bee martin (Progne subis, or purpurea),
and the European house, or window, martin (Hirundo, or Chelidon,
urbica), are the best known species.
Bank martin. (a) The bank swallow. See under Bank. (b) The fairy
martin. See under Fairy. -- Bee martin. (a) The purple martin. (b) The
kingbird. -- Sand martin, the bank swallow.
Mar"ti*net` (?), n. [So called from an officer of that name in the
French army under Louis XIV. Cf. Martin the bird, Martlet.] In military
language, a strict disciplinarian; in general, one who lays stress on a
rigid adherence to the details of discipline, or to forms and fixed
methods. [Hence, the word is commonly employed in a depreciatory
sense.]
Mar"ti*net`, n. [F.] (Zoöl.) The martin.
Mar`ti*ne"ta (?), n. [Cf. Sp. martinete.] (Zoöl.) A species of tinamou
(Calopezus elegans), having a long slender crest.
Mar"ti*net`ism (?), n. The principles or practices of a martinet; rigid
adherence to discipline, etc.
{ Mar"tin*gale (?), Mar"tin*gal (?), } n. [F. martingale; cf. It.
martingala a sort of hose, martingale, Sp. martingala a greave, cuish,
martingale, Sp. almártaga a kind of bridle.] 1. A strap fastened to a
horse's girth, passing between his fore legs, and fastened to the bit,
or now more commonly ending in two rings, through which the reins pass.
It is intended to hold down the head of the horse, and prevent him from
rearing.
2. (Naut.) A lower stay of rope or chain for the jib boom or flying jib
boom, fastened to, or reeved through, the dolphin striker. Also, the
dolphin striker itself.
3. (Gambling) The act of doubling, at each stake, that which has been
lost on the preceding stake; also, the sum so risked; -- metaphorically
derived from the bifurcation of the martingale of a harness. [Cant]
Thackeray.
Mar"tin*mas (?), n. [St. Martin + mass religious service.] (Eccl.) The
feast of St. Martin, the eleventh of November; -- often called
martlemans.
Martinmas summer, a period of calm, warm weather often experienced
about the time of Martinmas; Indian summer. Percy Smith.
Mar"tite (?), n. [L. Mars, Martis, the god Mars, the alchemical name of
iron.] (Min.) Iron sesquioxide in isometric form, probably a
pseudomorph after magnetite.