cotton gin

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cotton gin¹

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800

Example Sentences

He is best known for his invention of the cotton gin, a machine that transformed cotton production, with tragic consequences for workers.

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In high school, many Americans learn of Eli Whitney’s revolutionary cotton gin.

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This rise in activity in Southern areas was largely due to the invention of the cotton gin, which shifted the focus of production from tobacco to cotton.

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“Any time a cotton gin burned down in the South, they pointed to the Wide Awakes and other more radical antislavery Northerners and said, ‘This is arson.’”

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In addition to farming 3,100 acres, the family soon operated a seed and fertilizer business, warehouses, a peanut-shelling plant and a cotton gin.

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