sea-island cotton

American  

[see-ahy-luhnd] / ˈsiˌaɪ lənd /

Or Sea Island cotton

noun

1. a long-staple cotton, Gossypium barbadense, raised originally in the Sea Islands and now grown chiefly in the West Indies.

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sea-island cotton British  

noun

1. a cotton plant, Gossypium barbadense, of the Sea Islands, widely cultivated for its fine long fibres

2. the fibre of this plant or the material woven from it

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Etymology

Origin of sea-island cotton

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

Example Sentences

Bresciani 100 percent sea-island cotton Another $59 entrant from the Italian hosiery specialists.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2012

And for all its charms, sea-island cotton is still not nearly as warm or soft as cashmere.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2012

Foppish back story: Most men cannot afford to buy shirts made of sea-island cotton.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2012

"My white shirts are made of sea-island cotton," Sander explains, "in the finest gauge you can spin."

From Time Magazine Archive

Among the agricultural products of this narrow coastal belt which are suggestive of its climate are rice, sugar-cane, and sea-island cotton; of fruits it produces, especially in Florida, oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes, shaddocks, and pineapples.

From North America by Russell, Israel C. (Cook)