cottonwood

[kot-n-wood]

noun

1. any of several American poplars, as Populus deltoides, having toothed, triangular leaves and cottonlike tufts on the seeds.

cottonwood

/ ˈkɒtənˌwʊd /

noun

1. any of several North American poplars, esp Populus deltoides, whose seeds are covered with cottony hairs

2. Also called: tauhinu. a native New Zealand shrub, Cassinia leptophylla , with daisy-like flowers

Word History and Origins

Origin of cottonwood¹

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; cotton + wood ¹

Example Sentences

“Heard him tell the girl in the picture called ‘War of the Wildcats’ that he would build her a house ‘at the bend in the river where the cottonwoods grow.’

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Tall cottonwood trees and willows enveloped the riverbanks in cool shade and swallows soared among the branches.

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And she has analyzed how different types of trees, including willows, cottonwoods and oaks, fare when water levels fall depending on the depth of their roots.

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If I close my eyes, the sounds the tree makes can carry me into memory’s place where a large stand of cottonwoods grew gnarled and ancient along the riverbank of my childhood.

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Hiking through the Wishbone area last summer, advocates noted cedar, hemlock, maple, cottonwood and alder trees, as well as huckleberries, gooseberries and devil’s club plants.

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