Wattle
/ˈwɒt.əl/noun
A flexible framework of interwoven sticks or branches used in building or fencing.
Did you know?Wattle is historically tied to a Germanic root meaning “to weave” or “bind,” which is why it belongs to a whole family of words about twisting fibers, not just fences.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
watel
“A hurdle, woven fence, or wattling of branches”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*watilaz
“A woven covering or hurdle”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wed-
“To weave or bind together”
Middle English
ME
wattle
“A woven framework of rods used for walls, fences, or barriers”
Modern English
English
wattle
“A framework of interwoven sticks or branches; also a fleshy growth on some birds”