Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

cotton ball

American  
[kot-n bawl] / ˈkɒt n ˌbɔl /

noun

  • cotton balls
    plural
  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.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of cotton ball

First recorded in 1750–55

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.

See Examples For:

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

Her well-coiffed white hair was as puffy as a cotton ball.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 29, 2020

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

Dari grinned and ducked his head as he grabbed a cotton ball.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training