cotta

[ kot-uh, kaw-tuh ]

/ ˈkɒt ə, ˈkɔ tə /

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noun Ecclesiastical.

a surplice.

a short surplice, sleeveless or with short sleeves, worn especially by choristers.

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Origin of cotta

1840–50; <Medieval Latin, variant of cota kind of tunic. See coat

Words nearby cotta

cotransduction, cotransport, co-trimoxazole, Cotswold, Cotswolds, cotta, cottage, cottage cheese, cottagecore, cottage country, cottage flat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cotta in a sentence

Maple panna cotta with caramelized hazelnuts is the definition of sublime.
2021 Fall Dining Guide|Tom Sietsema|October 6, 2021|Washington Post
A ringer for ricotta on a plate of tomatoes is “terra cotta,” pumpkin seeds pureed with nutritional yeast and koji, cooked fermented rice.
Oyster Oyster, meatless and marvelous, has become one of D.C.’s best restaurants|Tom Sietsema|September 10, 2021|Washington Post
Its texture is a little denser than panna cotta—just firm enough to hold the shape of your spoon as you eat it.
Make a Delicious Summery Spin on Custard This Weekend|Anna Archibald|July 30, 2021|The Daily Beast
The brand’s citrus soap smells like the freshest fruit, and the peppermint is like something I’d inhale scooping up a bite of panna cotta.
Will Dr. Bronner’s Chocolate Change My Life the Way Its Soap Did?|Elazar Sontag|July 8, 2021|Eater

Among these are "Medusa," a bronze bust; and a "Mater Dolorosa," in terra-cotta.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
Over the archway are two sculptured figures in red terra-cotta, representing "Flora" and "Pomona."
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
He had his key ready in his hand, terra cotta-hued tab swinging loose.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
These graves were once all hermetically sealed by slabs of marble, or tiles of terra cotta.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow
They are closed with terra cotta or marble slabs, and are otherwise similar to those of the Christian Catacombs.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow

British Dictionary definitions for cotta

cotta

/ (ˈkɒtə) /

noun

RC Church a short form of surplice

Word Origin for cotta

C19: from Italian: tunic, from Medieval Latin; see coat

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012