cotton ball

American  

[kot-n bawl] / ˈkɒt n ˌbɔl /

noun

1. a small ball of absorbent cotton.

   The vet showed me how to clean Poco’s ears with a cotton ball soaked in this solution.

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Etymology

Origin of cotton ball

First recorded in 1750–55

Example Sentences

Segura, the nurse, removed the tube from my arm and pressed a cotton ball to the needle prick.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2025

During arti, you stood in front of the gods and offered them light, clutching a silver plate holding ghee-drenched cotton ball flames and marigolds.

From Salon • Jul. 16, 2022

The material in the connective tissue gives it a loose consistency similar to a cotton ball that has been pulled apart.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

And Gidget looks like a cotton ball with legs, But the rest of the pets aren’t rendered with such detail.

From Washington Post • Jun. 5, 2019

Beside me, Tris holds a cotton ball to her pricked skin and offers me a small smile.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth