cot

¹ American  

abbreviation

Trigonometry.

1. cotangent.

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cot ² American  

[kot] / kɒt /

noun

1. a light portable bed, especially one of canvas on a folding frame.

2. British. a child's crib.

3. a light bedstead.

4. Nautical. a hammocklike bed stiffened by a suspended frame.

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cot ³ American  

[kot] / kɒt /

noun

1. a small house; cottage; hut.

2. a small place of shelter.

3. a sheath or protective covering, as for an injured finger or toe.

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cot ¹ British  

/ kɒt /

noun

1. a child's boxlike bed, usually incorporating vertical bars

2. a collapsible or portable bed

3. a light bedstead

4. nautical a hammock-like bed with a stiff frame

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cot ² British  

/ kɒt /

abbreviation

1. cotangent

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cot ³ British  

/ kɒt /

noun

1. literary a small cottage

2. Also called: cote. 

   1. a small shelter, esp one for pigeons, sheep, etc

   2. ( in combination )

      dovecot

3. another name for fingerstall

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cot ⁴ British  

/ kɒt /

verb

1. dialect to entangle or become entangled

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cot Scientific  

1. Abbreviation of cotangent

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Etymology

Origin of cot²

1625–35; < Hindi khāṭ < Prakrit khaṭṭā < Sanskrit khaṭvā; akin to Tamil kattil bedstead

Origin of cot³

before 900; Middle English, Old English cot (neuter; cf. cote ¹); cognate with Old Norse kot hut; akin to cubby, cove ¹

Explanation

A cot is a small, portable bed. You might sleep on a cot when you go camping. Some hotels offer cots for extra guests who stay in your room, and campers and soldiers on the move often use cots for sleeping. A cot's benefits include its light weight and ability to be folded into an easily carried size. In Britain, a cot is a baby bed or crib. Cot has a Hindi source, khat, "couch, bed, or hammock" from the Sanskrit khatva.

Example Sentences

A second self-defined expert recommended placing towels in the infant's cot - a practice The Lullaby Trust, a baby safety charity, says also increases the risk of Sids and "accidental death".

From BBC • May 5, 2026

The law caught him: “a slot open, a cot waiting” in jail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

As debate swirled on social media, the baby Jesus, represented by his fabric head, disappeared from the Christmas cot on Saturday, prompting the authorities to replace the son of God and tighten security.

From Barron's • Dec. 2, 2025

Keira still has a cot next to her bed and another in the living room, with framed photos of Zammi on the walls, along with baby clothes and nappies.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025

Sleep eluded me that weekend, and by that Sunday night, long after everyone went to bed, I lay on my cot, sluggish and jumpy, with my covers tossed off.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• bunk