What does "wattle" mean?

Wattle: A rod laid on a roof to support the thatch.

Additional senses

  1. 2.(Zoöl.) (a) A naked fleshy, and usually wrinkled and highly colored, process of the skin hanging from the chin or throat of a bird or reptile. (b) Barbel of a fish.
  2. 3.(a) The astringent bark of several Australian trees of the genus Acacia, used in tanning; -- called also wattle bark. (b) (Bot.) The trees from which the bark is obtained. See Savanna wattle, under Savanna. Wattle turkey. (Zoöl.) Same as Brush turkey.
  3. 4.To bind with twigs.
  4. 5.To twist or interweave, one with another, as twigs; to form a network with; to plat; as, to wattle branches.
  5. 6.To form, by interweaving or platting twigs. The folded flocks, penned in their wattled cotes. Milton.

Sources