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Definition of cattail
cattail
/ˈkæt.teɪl/
cat · tail
Plural:cattails
cattail Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
4
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
cattail Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
North American A tall, reed-like marsh plant of the genus Typha, native to wetlands globally, characterized by long, flat, strap-like leaves and a distinctive, dark brown, velvety cylindrical flower spike.
Example
"Red-winged blackbirds often build their nests among the dense stands of cattails along the edge of the marsh."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for cattailWord Nuance & Usage
In British English, cattails are typically referred to as reedmace or bulrushes, though 'bulrush' in North America often refers to a completely different group of wetland plants (genus Scirpus).
• Rhymes for cattail
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the mid-16th century in English, derived directly from the resemblance of the plant's characteristic brown, fuzzy, and cylindrical flower spike to the tail of a domestic cat.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Cattail. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 17, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/cattail