Phrase guide

pussy willow

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of a number of species of willow and sallow when their catkins are still young in spring.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

small willow of eastern North America having greyish leaves and silky catkins that come before the leaves

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Salix discolor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: willow, willow tree

3

noun

Meaning 3

much-branched Old World willow having large catkins and relatively large broad leaves

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: goat willow, florist's willow, Salix caprea

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sallow

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 褪色柳 (tuìsèliǔ) — willow or sallow when their catkins are still young
  • German: Kätzchenweide — willow or sallow when their catkins are still young
  • German: Salweide — willow or sallow when their catkins are still young
  • Hungarian: fűzbarka — willow or sallow when their catkins are still young
  • Japanese: 猫柳 (neko yanagi) — willow or sallow when their catkins are still young
  • Eastern Mari: шертне (šertńe) — willow or sallow when their catkins are still young
  • Western Mari: шӓртньӹ (šärtńÿ) — willow or sallow when their catkins are still young
  • Plautdietsch: Pelzkota — willow or sallow when their catkins are still young
  • Polish: wierzba — willow or sallow when their catkins are still young
  • Spanish: sauce blanco — willow or sallow when their catkins are still young