The word 'catkin-like' is formed in English by combining 'catkin' (a type of flower cluster) with the suffix '-like', which means 'resembling' or 'similar to'.

'Catkin' comes from the Dutch word 'katteken', meaning 'kitten', due to the resemblance of the flower cluster to a kitten's tail. The suffix '-like' has been used in English since Old English to form adjectives meaning 'similar to'.

Initially, 'catkin-like' simply meant 'resembling a catkin', and this meaning has remained unchanged.