cotton wool

noun

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

2. British.,  absorbent cotton.

cotton wool

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cotton wool¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

"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."

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

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

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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.

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"It just really makes you just want to wrap him up in cotton wool."

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