cotton wool

American  

noun

1. cotton in its raw state, as on the boll or gathered but unprocessed.

2. British.  absorbent cotton.

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cotton wool British  

noun

1. Usual US term: absorbent cotton.  Also called: purified cotton.  bleached and sterilized cotton from which the gross impurities, such as the seeds and waxy matter, have been removed: used for surgical dressings, tampons, etc

2. cotton in the natural state

3. informal

   1. a state of pampered comfort and protection

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cotton-wool existence

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Etymology

Origin of cotton wool

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

"We need to wrap him in cotton wool and keep him going for 38 games."

From BBC

"I'd love to just wrap her up in cotton wool and keep her close, but we can't do that either because she has a life to live and rightfully should be able to do so."

From BBC

He often had to put cotton wool in his shoes to fill the extra space.

From BBC

Joe Schmidt looks to have made a serious error by wrapping the rest of his Test players in cotton wool since the Lions landed.

From BBC

The frontline Wallabies have been wrapped in cotton wool since the Lions got here, so what the tourists have done is beat up dramatically depleted franchises.

From BBC