Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » cotton

cotton

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

Cotton is defined as a plant, or the soft cloud-like substance that comes from shrubby plants and is used to make thread or cloth.

(noun)

An example of cotton is the stuffing inside a teddy bear.

The definition of cotton is made of the soft and fluffy material that comes from some plants.

(adjective)

An example of cotton used in an adjective is in the phrase "cotton suit."

See cotton in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

the soft, white seed hairs filling the seedpods of various shrubby plants (genus Gossypium) of the mallow family, originally native to the tropics
a plant or plants producing this material
the crop of such plants
thread or cloth made of cotton
a downy, cottonlike substance growing on other plants

Origin: ME cotoun < OFr coton < (? via It cotone) Ar quṭun < ? Egypt

adjective

of cotton

Cotton, John 1584-1652; Am. Puritan clergyman, born in England: grandfather of Cotton Mather

See cotton in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

a. Any of various shrubby plants of the genus Gossypium, having showy flowers and grown for the soft white downy fibers surrounding oil-rich seeds.
b. The fiber of any of these plants, used in making textiles and other products.
c. Thread or cloth manufactured from the fiber of these plants.
The crop of these plants.
Any of various soft downy substances produced by other plants, as on the seeds of a cottonwood.

intransitive verb cot·toned, cot·ton·ing, cot·tons
Informal

To take a liking; attempt to be friendly: a dog that didn't cotton to strangers; an administration that will cotton up to the most repressive of regimes.
To come to understand. Often used with to or onto: “The German bosses . . . never cottoned to such changes” (N.R. Kleinfield).

Origin:

Origin: Middle English cotoun

Origin: , from Old French coton

Origin: , from Old Italian cotone

Origin: , from Arabic quṭn, quṭun; see qṭn in Semitic roots

English-born American cleric who was vicar of Saint Botolph's Church in England until he was summoned to court for his Puritanism. He fled to Boston, Massachusetts, where he became a civil and religious leader.

Learn more about cotton

cotton synonyms

cotton investment & finance

cotton phrase meanings

cotton in a sentence

cotton quotes

Related Articles

Natural Resources Examples

link/cite print suggestion box