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catkin
[ kat-kin ]
/ ˈkæt kɪn /
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noun Botany.
a spike of unisexual, apetalous flowers having scaly, usually deciduous bracts, as of a willow or birch.
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Also called ament.
Origin of catkin
OTHER WORDS FROM catkin
cat·kin·ate [kat-kuh-neyt], /ˈkæt kəˌneɪt/, adjectiveWords nearby catkin
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use catkin in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for catkin
catkin
/ (ˈkætkɪn) /
noun
an inflorescence consisting of a spike, usually hanging, of much reduced flowers of either sex: occurs in birch, hazel, etcAlso called: ament
Word Origin for catkin
C16: from obsolete Dutch katteken kitten, identical in meaning with French chaton, German Kätzchen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for catkin
catkin
[ kăt′kÄn ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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