cotton wool

American  

noun

1. cotton in its raw state, as on the boll or gathered but unprocessed.

2. British. absorbent cotton.

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cotton wool British  

noun

1. Usual US term: absorbent cotton.  Also called: purified cotton.  bleached and sterilized cotton from which the gross impurities, such as the seeds and waxy matter, have been removed: used for surgical dressings, tampons, etc

2. cotton in the natural state

3. informal

   1. a state of pampered comfort and protection

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cotton-wool existence

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Etymology

Origin of cotton wool

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cotton wool

He often had to put cotton wool in his shoes to fill the extra space.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025

Joe Schmidt looks to have made a serious error by wrapping the rest of his Test players in cotton wool since the Lions landed.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2025

Photographs of the illegal haul shared by the KWS show hundreds of these containers packed with cotton wool, each with two or three ants.

From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2025

The Federal Aviation Administration in 1999 recommended that garments made of cotton, wool, leather, and yes, even denim were preferable over synthetics.

From Slate ● Mar. 14, 2025

On the table there, polished now and plain, an ugly case would stand containing butterflies and moths, and another one with birds’ eggs, wrapped in cotton wool.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier