1
a
: a fabrication of poles interwoven with slender branches, withes, or reeds and used especially formerly in building
b
: material for such construction
c
wattles plural
: poles laid on a roof to support thatch
2
Australia
: acacia sense 2
wattled; wattling
ˈwät-liŋ,
ˈwä-tᵊl-iŋ
1
: to form or build of or with wattle
2
a
: to form into wattle : interlace to form wattle
b
: to unite or make solid by interweaving light flexible material
: a fleshy pendulous process usually about the head or neck (as of a bird)
Examples of wattle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Sep. 2025
Margret Campbell stands at the edge of Sydney’s Harbor foreshore, her hand brushing the leaves of a seasonal wattle tree.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Urbanization and invasive trees, particularly pine, wattle, and eucalyptus, brought from Europe in the 1800s, have shrunk fynbos habitats.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2025
Those wattles act as speed bumps to slow the flow and stem erosion.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wattle
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Noun
The bite landed on Dottie's wattle, the fleshy red tissue hanging from a chicken's beak that helps regulate body temperature.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Sep. 2025
Margret Campbell stands at the edge of Sydney’s Harbor foreshore, her hand brushing the leaves of a seasonal wattle tree.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Urbanization and invasive trees, particularly pine, wattle, and eucalyptus, brought from Europe in the 1800s, have shrunk fynbos habitats.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2025
Those wattles act as speed bumps to slow the flow and stem erosion.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wattle
Cite this Entry
“Wattle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wattle. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wattle
2 of 3 verb
wattled; wattling
ˈwät-liŋ
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to form or build of or with wattle
2
a
: to weave (as branches) together to form wattle
b
: to unite or make solid by weaving together light flexible material
wattle
3 of 3 noun
: a fleshy flap of skin hanging usually from the neck (as of a bird)
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