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

See Examples For:

cotton candy

He pointed to one of his favorite trees, a Japanese katsura, that smells like cotton candy when its leaves begin to fall in autumn.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

It’s a piece of delicious, fluffy cotton candy, sweet and quick-dissolving.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

Astronomers have identified two of the fluffiest giant planets ever discovered, with densities so low they are actually less dense than cotton candy.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 27, 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

Some even hold bags of cotton candy in their laps—bags!

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen