c 3 a 1 t 1 k 5 i 1 n 1
6 letters · 12 points in Scrabble
Meaning
noun a cylindrical spikelike inflorescence
originFrom Middle Dutch katteken (“catkin”, literally “little cat”). So named due to the resemblance of lengthier kinds to a kitten's tail, or, perhaps more probably, the fine fur found on some catkins (compare the pictures). Cognate with German Kätzchen, modern Dutch katje; compare French chaton (“kitten”; “catkin”). By surface analysis, cat + -kin.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0