# catkin

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A type of inflorescence, consisting of an axis with many unisexual apetalous flowers along its sides, as in the willow and poplar.

## Etymology
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. By surface analysis, cat + -kin.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/catkin