Wattling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To construct a framework or structure by weaving together flexible materials such as branches or reeds
2. To create or shape an enclosure or shelter using intertwined elements for support or stability
3. To form a net-like assembly using pliable materials, commonly for construction or artistic purposes

Etymology: Wattling is a plain formation: the verb "wattle" with the suffix "-ing" attached, giving the sense of the activity of building with wattle. The suffix itself has a long pedigree, descending through Proto-Germanic and Old English "-ung" and Middle English "-inge" before settling into the modern "-ing" form used across English. The base word, wattle, is the more interesting half. It refers to a framework of interlaced branches, rods or stakes, woven between upright posts to form walls, fences and roofs. Builders have used this technique for thousands of years, pressing a daub of clay or mud into the woven lattice to make a sturdy partition. To wattle, then, is to construct something this way, turning loose sticks into a barrier that holds together by the tension of its own weaving.

Synonyms: wattle, framework