cotton

¹cot·ton

noun, often attributive \ˈkä-t^ən\

Definition of COTTON

1

a : a soft usually white fibrous substance composed of the hairs surrounding the seeds of various erect freely branching tropical plants (genus Gossypium) of the mallow family b : a plant producing cotton; especially : one grown for its cotton c : a crop of cotton

2

a : fabric made of cotton b : yarn spun from cotton

3

: a downy cottony substance produced by various plants (as the cottonwood)

Examples of COTTON

1. They are in the field picking cotton.
2. She doesn't wear cotton in the winter.

Illustration of COTTON

Origin of COTTON

Middle English coton, from Anglo-French cotun, from Old Italian cotone, from Arabic quṭun, quṭn

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Textiles Terms

batt, bias, brocade, duck, flock, lawn, toile

Rhymes with COTTON

rotten, shotten