ament

¹ American  

[am-uhnt, ey-muhnt] / ˈæm ənt, ˈeɪ mənt /

noun

Botany.

1. catkin.

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ament ² American  

[ey-ment, ey-muhnt] / ˈeɪ mɛnt, ˈeɪ mənt /

noun

1. a person who has amentia.

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ament ¹ British  

/ ˈeɪmənt, ˈæmənt /

noun

1. Also called: amentum.  another name for catkin

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ament ² British  

/ ˈeɪmənt, æˈmɛnt /

noun

1. psychiatry a mentally deficient person

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ament Scientific  

/ ăm′ənt,ā′mənt /

1. See catkin

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Other Word Forms

• amentaceous adjective
• amental adjective
• amentiferous adjective

Etymology

Origin of ament¹

1785–95; < New Latin, Latin āmentum strap, thong

Origin of ament²

1890–95; < Latin āment- (stem of āmēns out of one's mind, mad), equivalent to ā- a- ⁴ + ment-; see mental ¹

Example Sentences

But in dozens of interviews, current and former colleagues of Mr. Acosta, who is now dean of Florida International University’s law school, are deeply split in their ament of the nominee.

From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2017

Occasionally a two branched ament may be found but this seems to occur when one branch of the ament has failed to develop due to an injury of some sort.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the 44th Annual Meeting Rochester, N.Y. August 31 and September 1, 1953 by Northern Nut Growers Association

PRESENT. amem, may I love, amēmus, let us love, amēs, may you love, amētis, may you love, amet, let him love; ament, let them love.

From New Latin Grammar by Bennett, Charles E. (Charles Edwin)

Scales of the fertile ament few, decussately opposite or ternate, becoming a small closed cone or sort of drupe.

From The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi and North of North Carolina and Tennessee by Gray, Asa

The tree is so called from the resemblance of the long ament, before opening, to the beads of a necklace.

From Among the Trees at Elmridge by Church, Ella Rodman