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Martial

//ˈmɑːʃəl// adj, name, noun

Definitions

Adjective

1
Of, relating to, or suggestive of war; warlike. comparable
"The captaine he, which climbes for high advaunce, / By piercing blade imbrude in enimies blood, / In martiall ſhewes who formoſt leades the daunce, [...]"
2
Alternative letter-case form of martial (“of or relating to the planet Mars”). alt-of, not-comparable, obsolete
"For, having found out by a careful series of observations, the parts of Mars' orbit where the planet entered upon its various seasons, he [William Herschel] noted that, soon after mid-winter of the northern hemisphere, the northern white spot attained its greatest dimensions, while the southern was reduced to a tiny oval of light; whereas half a Martial year later, the southern spot was at its largest, and the northern a mere speck when compared with its winter appearance."
3
Connected with or relating to armed forces or the profession of arms or military life. comparable
"[D]ivers commissions under your Majestie's Greate Seale have issued forth, by which certaine persons have been assigned and appointed commissioners, with power and authoritie to proceed within the land, according to the justice of martiall lawe, against such soulders and marriners, or other dissolute persons joining with them, as should commit any murder, robbery, felonie, meeting, or other outrage or misdemeanour, whatsoever; [...]"
4
Alternative letter-case form of Containing, or relating to, iron alt-of, not-comparable, obsolete
"The association of the heavenly bodies with known metals and also with human organs and destinies goes back to ancient Chaldea, the land of astrologers. In Chaucer’s words: ‘The seven bodies eek, lo hear anon. Sol gold is, and Luna silver we declare; Mars yron, Mercurie is quyksilver; Saturnian leed; and Jubitur is tyn, and Venus coper, by my fathers kyn.’ […] Corresponding names were bestowed upon salts of these metals by the alchemists, and some of them have persisted down to the present day. Some examples are lunar caustic (silver nitrate); vitriol of Venus (copper sulphate); sugar of Saturn (lead acetate); and vitriol of Mars, or Martial vitriol (ferrous sulphate)."
5
Characteristic of or befitting a warrior; having a military bearing; soldierly. comparable
"With Marſhall ſtalke he paſſed through our watch."

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6
Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Mars. not-comparable, obsolete
"The Sun to the Quartile or Oppoſition of Mars. This Direction threatens the native with ſome martial Diſeaſe or Infirmity, as Fevers peſtilential, exceſs of Choler and Blood corrupted; it ſheweth danger by Fires, Wounds and Scalds, ill ſucceſs in Affairs, danger by Thieves and Robbers, ill having to do with martial Men, or to deal in martial Affairs; [...]"
7
Of or relating to the planet Mars; Martian. not-comparable, obsolete
"[R]ound about the plain / All hid with slaughter'd carcasses, yet still did hotly reign / The martial planet; [...]"
8
Containing, or relating to, iron (which was symbolically associated with the planet Mars by alchemists); chalybeate, ferric, ferrous. not-comparable, obsolete
"martial preparations martial flowers (a reddish crystalline salt of iron)"

Adjective

1
of or relating to the armed forces wordnet
2
(of persons) befitting a warrior wordnet
3
suggesting war or military life wordnet

Proper Noun

1
A male given name from Latin, narrowly applied to certain historic persons (but some of its foreign cognates are modern given names).
"Saint Martial was the first bishop of Limoges, circa 250"
2
An Anglicized cognomen or given name of the Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martialis, born in Spain in the first century AD and noted for his epigrams.

Noun

1
A soldier, a warrior. obsolete
"The martials (this is the name of my pirates) will pass in her eyes for an honest family of fishermen; I will go on your account, and make two or three visits to your young lady; I will order her certain potions, and at the end of eight days she will make acquaintance with the cemetery of Asnieres."
2
Alternative letter-case form of martial (“inhabitant of the planet Mars; Martian”). alt-of, obsolete
"The Martials, if there be Martials in any sense in which there are terrestrials on our own planet, may have no eyes at all; their whole civilisation, if they have say, may depend on senses of which we have absolutely no trace, […]"
3
A celestial object under the astrological influence of the planet Mars. obsolete
4
Synonym of Martian (“inhabitant of the planet Mars”). obsolete
"The Martials, if there be Martials in any sense in which there are terrestrials on our own planet, may have no eyes at all; their whole civilisation, if they have say, may depend on senses of which we have absolutely no trace, [...]"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English martial, marcial, mercial, mercialle (“relating to war, warlike; military; for use in fighting or warfare; brave, hardy; combative, fierce; ruthless, vicious; domineering, overbearing”), from Middle French martial (modern French martial (“martial”)), or directly from its etymon Latin mārtiālis (“of or pertaining to Mars, the Roman god of war”), from Mārtius (“of or pertaining to Mars”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship). The English word is cognate with Italian marziale (“martial”), Portuguese marcial (“martial”), Spanish marcial (“martial”).

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

From Latin Martialis (“Roman cognomen”), from martiālis (“belonging or dedicated to the Mars, the Roman god of war, or to war”), from Mārs (“the god Mars; the planet Mars”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship from nouns).

Etymology 4

Etymology 5

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