: any of a genus (Typha of the family Typhaceae, the cattail family) of tall reedy marsh plants with brown furry fruiting spikes
especially
: a plant (Typha latifolia) with long flat leaves used especially for making mats and chair seats
Examples of cattail in a Sentence
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Hundreds of lily pads float amid the cattails, some gnarly-edged from too much sun, others bursting with buttery yellow buds.
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Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2024
Linda Scher followed this one, which was in a group of other chickadees and American goldfinches flitting through broad-leaf cattails in Richfield, Minnesota.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2024
Birds will nest in cattails but not phragmites, Hiskes said.
—Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 3 June 2024
As spring progresses, look for shallow bays, shallow shorelines, weed beds, cattails, and brush along the banks.
—Nicole Stone, Outdoor Life, 15 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cattail 
Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2024
Linda Scher followed this one, which was in a group of other chickadees and American goldfinches flitting through broad-leaf cattails in Richfield, Minnesota.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2024
Birds will nest in cattails but not phragmites, Hiskes said.
—Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 3 June 2024
As spring progresses, look for shallow bays, shallow shorelines, weed beds, cattails, and brush along the banks.
—Nicole Stone, Outdoor Life, 15 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cattail
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“Cattail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cattail. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cattail
noun
cat·tail
ˈkat-ˌtāl 
: a tall marsh plant that bears very tiny flowers and fruit in brown furry spikes at the end of long stalks
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