Obs. or dial. Also 5–6 chatte. [a. F. chats barren flowers of walnut, hazel, willows, etc., lit. ‘cats,’ from their downy appearance; cf. the equivalent F. chatons kittens, Du. katteken, Eng. CATKIN. Sense 2 (if related) is perhaps a loose popular extension of the word.]
1. A name given to the catkin, inflorescence, or seed of various plants:
a. The downy catkin of the willow, pine, oak, hazel, etc. Obs. or dial.
c. 1400. Maundev., xv. 168. The long Peper … is lyche the Chattes of Haselle, that comethe before the Lef, and it hangeth lowe.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 460. The Oke called Robur, bringeth forth likewise a certaine pendant chat or catkin.
1875. Lanc. Gloss., Chats, the catkins of trees.
† b. The spikes or spikelets of grasses, carices, and the like. Obs.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XVIII. vii. Panick … is found with a tuft or bunch, from which depend certain small clustered chats or panicles. Ibid., II. 3. It commeth from a certaine fennie reed growing in marishes, I meane the tender muchets or chats thereof. Ibid., II. 557. Certaine chats or catkins which grow vpon many reeds and canes.
† c. The ‘key’ or samaroid seed of the ash, sycamore, and other trees. Obs.
1562. Bulleyn, Bk. Simples, 30 a. And the coddes did grow upon clusters, like the chattes or kaies of Ashe trees.
1615. Lawson, Orch. & Gard., III. vi. (1668), 13. Ashes, Round-trees, Burt-trees, and such like, carried in the chat, or berry, by the birds into stone walls.
1691. Ray, N. C. Words, 14. Chats; Keys of Trees, as Ash-chats, Sycomore Chats, &c.
d. The scaly cone (strobilus) of alder, pine, etc.
1697. Phil. Trans., XIX. 374. I observed about Mid-August, the Chats of the Alder to be Gummy.
1864. Atkinson, Whitby Gloss., Chats, the cones of the fir-tree.
2. A small branch or twig, such as is used for kindling a fire. Also chat-wood. dial.
[1631. R. H., Arraignm. Whole Creature, xii. § 4. 128. Their boles and boughes, their buds and chats, their leaves and flowers, sprouting upwards.]
1670. Ray, Prov., 42. Love of lads and fire of chats is soon in and soon out.
[1670. E. Tonge, in Phil. Trans., V. 1165. And in what forwardness their Buds and Leaves, or Chats were then shot, or broken.]
1721–1800. Bailey, Chat-wood, little sticks fit for fuel.
1794. in Ann. Reg., 361. Even the spray-wood, here called chats … might be made into fagots.
1879. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., Chats, small branches or twigs used for firing. ‘Dick, run an’ fatch tuthree dry chats to put i’ the oven.’
