cotton candy

American  

noun

cotton candies plural

1. a fluffy, sweet confection whipped from spun sugar and gathered or wound around a stick or cone-shaped paper core.

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cotton candy British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): candyfloss.  Austral name: fairyfloss.  a very light fluffy confection made from coloured spun sugar, usually held on a stick

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cotton candies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cotton candy

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Example Sentences

The food and drink offerings lean playful and nostalgic, with cotton candy, popcorn, loaded milkshakes, cocktails, mocktails and plenty of other treats to keep the fun going between games.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

The exposition popularized a host of snack foods that would become staples of American life, including ice-cream cones, peanut butter, hot dogs, hamburgers and cotton candy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

I can see how it might feel like it’s been treated like a ball of cotton candy to give it away.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

This combination makes them extraordinarily low in density -- more like planetary-sized cotton candy than solid, rocky worlds.

From Science Daily • Jan. 31, 2026

“I was joking. It’s really cotton candy, delicious cotton candy. Try it and see.”

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller