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• cotton
  cotton

  noun

  a soft, white, downy substance consisting of the hairs or fibers attached to the seeds of plants belonging to the genus Gossypium, of the mallow family, used in making fabrics, thread, wadding, etc.
• Cotton
  Cotton

  noun

  John, 1584–1652, U.S. clergyman, colonist, and author (grandfather of Cotton Mather).

cotton

¹ American  

[kot-n] / ˈkɒt n /

noun

• cotton
  plural

1. a soft, white, downy substance consisting of the hairs or fibers attached to the seeds of plants belonging to the genus Gossypium, of the mallow family, used in making fabrics, thread, wadding, etc.

2. the plant itself, having spreading branches and broad, lobed leaves.

3. such plants collectively as a cultivated crop.

4. cloth, thread, a garment, etc., of cotton.

5. any soft, downy substance resembling cotton, but growing on other plants.

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verb (used without object)

1. Informal. to get along; to agree (usually in the negative and followed bywith ).

   She didn't cotton with hypocrites.

   I don't cotton with conventional wisdom on this.

2. Obsolete. to prosper or succeed.

verb phrase

1. cotton (on) to

   1. to come to a full understanding of; grasp or realize.

      Once you cotton on to this principle, you see examples of it everywhere.

      Eventually both sets of parents cottoned on to the fact that the kids were lying about “studying” together.

   2. to become fond of; begin to like.

      I cottoned to the new girl right away when I saw she knew how to muck out a stall.

   3. to approve of; agree with.

      Some organic gardeners freeze the insects in a container and then put them out for the birds, but your kids may not cotton to this idea.

Cotton ² American  

[kot-n] / ˈkɒt n /

noun

1. John, 1584–1652, U.S. clergyman, colonist, and author (grandfather of Cotton Mather).

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cotton ¹ British  

/ ˈkɒtən /

noun

1. any of various herbaceous plants and shrubs of the malvaceous genus Gossypium, such as sea-island cotton, cultivated in warm climates for the fibre surrounding the seeds and the oil within the seeds See also sea-island cotton

2. the soft white downy fibre of these plants: used to manufacture textiles

3. cotton plants collectively, as a cultivated crop

4. 1. a cloth or thread made from cotton fibres

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cotton dress

5. any substance, such as kapok ( silk cotton ), resembling cotton but obtained from other plants

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Cotton ² British  

/ ˈkɒtən /

noun

1. Sir Henry. 1907–87, English golfer: three times winner of the British Open (1934, 1937, 1948)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• semicotton
  noun
• cottony
  adjective
• half-cotton
  adjective
• uncottoned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cotton
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cotton

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English cotoun, cot(e)in, from Old French coton, from Arabic quṭun, quṭn

Explanation

Cotton is a plant that grows the soft, fluffy fibers that are used to make the fabric also known as cotton. Cotton grows best in very warm climates. Cotton is a hugely important fiber, since it's used to make all kinds of clothing, bedding, and other things we use regularly. Your t-shirt, jeans, underwear, and socks are probably all made, at least in part, from cotton, and so is your bath towel, pillow case, and the curtains on your windows. If you use cotton as a verb, it's an informal way to say "take a liking to." This meaning has a Welsh root, cytuno, "agree."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cotton Cotton

Traoré has presented such projects as evidence of Burkina Faso becoming more economically self-reliant, alongside investments in industries including cotton, textiles and food processing.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

“The thing we are calling attention to is that cotton microfibers are not inert,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Some research suggests that cotton clothing contains fewer chemicals than synthetics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

A 2026 study found cotton and wool fibers preserved in layers of sediment from an English lake dating back as far as the late 19th century.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Shoulders slouched, Father sets off with Belle pulling the wagon to the cotton gin.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Judge Huey P. Cotton ruled that Avila can either agree to a reduced award of $9.5 million in damages or undergo a new trial for the damages.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

A Prevention of Future Deaths report into the death of Sophie Cotton in County Durham, external said the policy appeared to overlook that mental health teams could not enter locked premises.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

“They are starting to believe that we can take some of the real estate back and make a play for that recovery” of rent growth, said Cotton of Bain Capital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

“Oh, my brother. Only an Aussie would ask me that,” a bemused Ossoff responded with a smile to TMZ reporter Charlie Cotton, who is Australian.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

Then she’d have to say “rutabaga” so Cotton would stop drawing on the wall with markers.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor