Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for cotton

cotton

1

[kot-n]

noun

  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.



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

[kot-n]

noun

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

cotton

1

/ 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

    1. a cloth or thread made from cotton fibres

    2. ( as modifier )

      a cotton dress

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

“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

Cotton

2

/ ˈkɒtən /

noun

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

“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
Discover More

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cotton1

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cotton1

C14: from Old French coton, from Arabic dialect qutun, from Arabic qutn
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In Texas, a white foreman stopped Alvarado and his group from picking in cotton fields just before a plane covered the crop with DDT.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“All I can think about is chafing. That’s literally the first thing that comes to mind,” said Michaels, who prefers cotton sweats and doesn’t recommend working out in jeans.

Five minutes later, the cotton clothes are shrinking in high heat and the rice is burning on the stovetop.

Read more on Salon

That year, the first industrial mill, Slater Mill, opened in Rhode Island to process that cotton into fabric.

Memphis, the seat of Shelby County, was once a prosperous city when it was at the heart of the American cotton industry up through the mid-20th century.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


cottiercottonade