Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
catkinate

catkinate

9.9
Having the shape of the slim hanging groups of small flowers on willow or hazel trees
  • adjective
  • /ˈkæt.kɪ.neɪt/
  • Specialized
: catkinado
  • Several species in this region display catkinate flowers during the early spring.

Examples

  • The tree's catkinate flowers attract many bees.

  • The tree's catkinate inflorescences drooped gracefully from the branches.

  • A botanist might describe these pollen-bearing structures as distinctly catkinate.

  • Are the catkinate structures on this plant common?

  • Several species in this region display catkinate flowers during the early spring.

  • The tree's catkinate inflorescences drooped gracefully from the branches.

  • A botanist might describe these pollen-bearing structures as distinctly catkinate.

Surface Forms

catkinate positive

Morphology

catkinate = catkin (transparent) = catkin + ate

Formed by adding the adjectival suffix '-ate' to 'catkin', meaning 'resembling or bearing catkins', which is directly inferable from the base.

Etymology

Catkinate comes from catkin, the small, fuzzy flower cluster named because it looks like a little cat's tail, and the ending -ate, which here means 'having the form of'. So, something catkinate is 'like a catkin', a plant part shaped like those hanging, fuzzy flower parts.