cotton candy

American

noun

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

cotton candy British

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of cotton candy

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

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.

She can munch on pizza made out of molten lava, or apply snowflakes and cotton candy as lip gloss.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025

If ever an actress was born to play a role, it’s Ms. Grande as the ultra-feminine Glinda, a girl who seems to be spun out of cotton candy and floats around in a literal bubble.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

While Kardashian’s role was as delicious and ephemeral as a piece of cotton candy, Lesley Manville’s part in Murphy’s series “Grotesquerie” was the real substantial meal.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2024

A vendor sells cotton candy before the performances begin.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2024

It was like a circus and a carnival mixed together, except with no animals and no rides, though you could definitely buy light-up swords and cotton candy.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023