wattle

[ wot-l ]

noun

1. Often wattles. a number of rods or stakes interwoven with twigs or tree branches for making fences, walls, etc.
2. wattles, a number of poles laid on a roof to hold thatch.
3. (in Australia) any of various acacias whose shoots and branches were used by the early colonists for wattles, now valued especially for their bark, which is used in tanning.
4. a fleshy lobe or appendage hanging down from the throat or chin of certain birds, as the domestic chicken or turkey.

verb (used with object)

, wat·tled, wat·tling.

1. to bind, wall, fence, etc., with wattle or wattles.
2. to roof or frame with or as if with wattles.
3. to form into a basketwork; interweave; interlace.
4. to make or construct by interweaving twigs or branches:

   to wattle a fence.

adjective

1. built or roofed with wattle or wattles.

wattle

¹

/ ˈwɒtəl /

adjective

1. dialect.
   of poor quality

wattle

²

/ ˈwɒtəl /

noun

1. a frame of rods or stakes interwoven with twigs, branches, etc, esp when used to make fences
2. the material used in such a construction
3. a loose fold of skin, often brightly coloured, hanging from the neck or throat of certain birds, lizards, etc
4. any of various chiefly Australian acacia trees having spikes of small brightly coloured flowers and flexible branches, which were used by early settlers for making fences See also golden wattle
5. a southern African caesalpinaceous tree, Peltophorum africanum, with yellow flowers

verb

1. to construct from wattle
2. to bind or frame with wattle
3. to weave or twist (branches, twigs, etc) into a frame

adjective

1. made of, formed by, or covered with wattle

Derived Forms

• ˈwattled, adjective

Other Words From

• un·wattled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wattle¹

before 900; (noun) Middle English wattel, Old English watul covering, akin to wætla bandage; (v.) Middle English wattelen, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wattle¹

Old English watol; related to wethel wrap, Old High German wadal, German Wedel

Example Sentences

In comparison, carbon-capture plantations are usually monocultures and are dominated globally by just five tree species -- teak, mahogany, cedar, silk oak, and black wattle -- that are grown for timber, pulp, or agroforestry.

From Science Daily

The victims: Banksias, wattles, gum trees, and more.

From New York Times

Titled “Immersion,” Clarke’s artwork is made of plywood paths set against straw wattles, with the coiled straw nodding to Cahuilla basket weaving traditions.

From New York Times

The seasonal link between, say, a wattle flowering and the arrival of fish species is breaking down.

From Salon

The feathered and fidgety duo settled into their new pens, their vibrant red wattles jiggling with every step, a stark contrast to their icy pale faces.

From Seattle Times