What does wattle mean?
Wattle has several established meanings. For birds, especially turkeys and chickens, it is the fleshy red or pink growth beneath the throat. It can also denote flexible branches or sticks interwoven to form a fence, wall, or roof, a use preserved in the familiar phrase “wattle and daub” and in traditional construction. In Australia, wattle refers to numerous native acacias and can also mean their wood; the golden wattle is the country's national floral emblem. The word can function as a noun or as a verb meaning to make or fence with interwoven sticks. Its varied uses connect animal anatomy, vernacular architecture, and Australian botany. Wattle is therefore especially useful for recognizing several less common senses that can otherwise be mistaken for unrelated vocabulary.
Interwoven sticks or withies used to make a fence, wall, or roof; a fence made in this way; a fleshy appendage beneath the throat of certain birds; or, in Australia, an acacia or its wood.
"The old fence was made from wattle, its flexible branches woven tightly together."
The botanical meaning is chiefly Australian. The plural “wattles” is common for the fleshy appendages beneath a bird's throat.
To make or construct a fence, wall, or similar structure using interwoven sticks or withies.
"They wattle a low fence around the garden."
This verb is relatively uncommon and is chiefly associated with traditional construction.
In the bird sense, “wattles” refers to the fleshy throat appendages. In the fencing sense, “wattle” may be used collectively or as a countable plural.
"The turkey's red wattles are especially prominent."
Wattle gives Australia its national floral emblem: the golden wattle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wattle come from?
Wattle comes from Old English wattle, originally meaning interwoven sticks or a hurdle made from them. Its older English uses concerned fencing and construction, while the bird-anatomy sense and the Australian botanical sense developed later. The Old English word belonged to a Germanic family represented in modern languages by Dutch wattel, Danish vattle, and Norwegian vattel.
Related word forms
How wattle is actually used
The bird-anatomy sense is familiar in British and American English but is often technical or associated with poultry breeding. The fencing sense is chiefly traditional or historical, while the botanical sense is especially common in Australian English.
Easily confused with wattle
A watt is a unit of power, whereas a wattle is interwoven fencing material, a bird's throat appendage, or an Australian acacia.
A wallet is a small holder for money or cards, while a wattle is made from interwoven sticks or can refer to the fleshy appendage beneath a bird's throat.