Amentiferous
/əˌmɛntɪˈfɪərəs/noun
Bearing or producing catkins, the slender flower clusters found on plants such as willows, birches, and oaks.
Did you know?The “-ferous” ending comes from Latin ferre, “to bear,” the same ancient root behind words such as offer, suffer, and birth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bher-
“To carry, bear, or bring”
Classical Latin
Latin
ferre
“To bear, carry, or produce”
Classical Latin
Latin
amentum
“A strap or thong; later, a catkin because of its dangling form”
New Latin
Botanical Latin
amentifer
“Catkin-bearing, formed from amentum plus ferre”
19th Century
English
amentiferous
“Bearing or producing catkins”