cotton gin

American  

noun

1. a machine for separating the fibers of cotton from the seeds.

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Etymology

Origin of cotton gin

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Whitney’s 1793 invention of the cotton gin, a machine that removed seeds easily from the plant’s white, fluffy fibers, allowed one person to do the work of dozens of people using their hands.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

Keeping up with the pace of technology has challenged Congress since the steam engine and the cotton gin transformed the nation’s industrial and agricultural sectors.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2024

The unincorporated area comprises Woodlawn Missionary Baptist, a cotton gin and some houses.

From New York Times • May 29, 2023

His father had a dry-goods store and a cotton gin, both of which he lost during the Great Depression, according to a 2010 interview he gave to the Washington Post.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2023

Father’s plan was different; he wanted Harry to be a businessman and one day take over the cotton gin and the pecan orchards and join the Freemasons, as he had.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly