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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

Under his leadership, Benin, traditionally a cotton producer, is entering the textile industry.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Wearing loose-fitting clothes made of natural fibres like cotton or linen can keep you cooler than sleeping naked.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

Before applying the technique to strawberry, the team tested it in well-studied allopolyploid crops, including teff and cotton.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026

Brandy Melville is one of the few chains where girls and women can find on-trend and relatively well-constructed cotton basics for a low price point, keeping even disgruntled shoppers coming back.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

When cotton bales are weighed and priced, Mr. Thompson takes seventy percent of the profit.

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

But then the measure failed to get traction in the House, and Cotton has said the Senate’s OK four years ago only happened due to miscommunication.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

Other Canadians have graced the Eurovision stage: Annie Cotton represented Switzerland in 1993 with "Moi, Tout Simplement", finishing third -- the last French-language song to finish in the top three until 2021.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

"June Brown, as Dot Cotton, did mention it on an episode of Eastenders," said Rhian.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton declared her “the greatest that’s ever been.”

From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026

“Grab a bite of Ghostly Cotton Candy! Eat as much as you want! You’ll never get full!”

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston