This noun designates a type of willow tree, possibly named from its rustling sound. Ezekiel 17:5 uses it in an allegorical vision, describing how a great eagle took a seed and planted it 'beside abundant waters, setting it like a willow.' The simile suggests a tree that thrives near water, appropriate for willows which grow along waterways. The possible onomatopoetic origin (suggesting rustling or whisking sounds) would fit the willow's characteristic of swaying and rustling in wind along riverbanks.