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catkin
[ kat-kin ]
noun
, Botany.
- a spike of unisexual, apetalous flowers having scaly, usually deciduous bracts, as of a willow or birch.
catkin
/ ˈkætkɪn /
noun
- an inflorescence consisting of a spike, usually hanging, of much reduced flowers of either sex: occurs in birch, hazel, etc Also calledament
catkin
/ kăt′kĭn /
- A long, thin, indeterminate inflorescence of tiny, petalless flowers growing on willows, birches, oaks, poplars, and certain other trees. The flowers on a catkin are either all male or all female. The female flowers are usually pollinated by the wind.
- Also called ament
- See illustration at inflorescence
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Other Words From
- cat·kin·ate [kat, -k, uh, -neyt], adjective
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of catkin1
C16: from obsolete Dutch katteken kitten, identical in meaning with French chaton, German Kätzchen
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Example Sentences
Catkin bearing nut trees, such as the walnut, have a refined structure that makes grafting difficult.
From Project Gutenberg
Hardiness of catkin also varied greatly and rather consistently from year to year.
From Project Gutenberg
It was here that the records of yields and catkin hardiness were valuable.
From Project Gutenberg
Similarly the fruit of the mulberry represents a catkin-like inflorescence.
From Project Gutenberg
Catkin, bracted flowers situated along a slender and usually drooping stem.
From Project Gutenberg
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