catkin

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catkin

Where it comes from

From Middle Dutch katteken (“catkin”, literally “little cat”). So named due to the resemblance of lengthier kinds to a kitten's tail, or, perhaps more probably, the fine fur found on some catkins (compare the pictures). Cognate with German Kätzchen, modern Dutch katje; compare French chaton (“kitten”; “catkin”). By surface analysis, cat + -kin.

noun catkins

A type of inflorescence, consisting of an axis with many unisexual apetalous flowers along its sides, as in the willow and poplar.
Similar: ament, amentum

Translations

Every language

noun botany: a type of inflorescence

Español	amento
한국어	버들강아지 beodeulgang'aji
日本語	尾状花序 bijō-kajo
中文	柔荑花序 róutíhuāxù
Português	amento, amentilho
Français	chaton, iule
Deutsch	Kätzchen
Italiano	gattino, amento
Ελληνικά	ανθήλη anthíli, ίουλος íoulos
Română	ament, mâțișor
Русский	серёжка serjóžka

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MLA

"catkin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/catkin. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

catkin. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/catkin

Chicago

"catkin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/catkin.

BibTeX

@misc{catkin_2026,
  title = {catkin},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/catkin},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}