Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

cotton

1

[ kot-n ]

noun

  1. a soft, white, downy substance consisting of the hairs or fibers attached to the seeds of plants belonging to the genus Gossypium, of the mallow family, used in making fabrics, thread, wadding, etc.
  2. the plant itself, having spreading branches and broad, lobed leaves.
  3. such plants collectively as a cultivated crop.
  4. cloth, thread, a garment, etc., of cotton.
  5. any soft, downy substance resembling cotton, but growing on other plants.


verb (used without object)

  1. Informal. to get along; to agree (usually in the negative and followed by with ):

    She didn't cotton with hypocrites.

    I don't cotton with conventional wisdom on this.

  2. Obsolete. to prosper or succeed.

verb phrase

  1. Informal.
    1. to come to a full understanding of; grasp or realize:

      Once you cotton on to this principle, you see examples of it everywhere.

      Eventually both sets of parents cottoned on to the fact that the kids were lying about “studying” together.

    2. to become fond of; begin to like:

      I cottoned to the new girl right away when I saw she knew how to muck out a stall.

    3. to approve of; agree with:

      Some organic gardeners freeze the insects in a container and then put them out for the birds, but your kids may not cotton to this idea.

Cotton

2

[ kot-n ]

noun

  1. John, 1584–1652, U.S. clergyman, colonist, and author (grandfather of Cotton Mather).

cotton

1

/ ˈɒə /

noun

  1. any of various herbaceous plants and shrubs of the malvaceous genus Gossypium, such as sea-island cotton, cultivated in warm climates for the fibre surrounding the seeds and the oil within the seeds See also sea-island cotton
  2. the soft white downy fibre of these plants: used to manufacture textiles
  3. cotton plants collectively, as a cultivated crop
    1. a cloth or thread made from cotton fibres
    2. ( as modifier )

      a cotton dress

  4. any substance, such as kapok ( silk cotton ), resembling cotton but obtained from other plants
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cotton

2

/ ˈɒə /

noun

  1. CottonSirHenry19071987MBritishSPORT AND GAMES: golfer Sir Henry. 1907–87, English golfer: three times winner of the British Open (1934, 1937, 1948)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈdzٳٴDzԲ, adjective
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • 󲹱-dz·ٴDz adjective
  • ··dz·ٴDz noun
  • ܲ·dz·ٴDzԱ adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of cotton1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English cotoun, cot(e)in, from Old French coton, from Arabic quṭun, quṭn
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of cotton1

C14: from Old French coton, from Arabic dialect qutun, from Arabic qutn
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Joined by a lyrical harmonica and Caton’s vocals, it’s music that almost lets the audience smell the cotton fields and country roads and smoke-filled hoodoo huts.

From

Photographs of the illegal haul shared by the KWS show hundreds of these containers packed with cotton wool, each with two or three ants.

From

Brian Jones, a south Texas farmer who grows cotton, corn and soybeans, celebrated Trump’s promise to punish Mexico if it delays water deliveries.

From

People have been advised to avoid heat exposure, wear lightweight and breathable cotton clothing and cover their heads with a cloth or umbrella outdoors.

From

When trading partners retaliate, they target farm products like soybeans, corn, wheat, cotton and pork.

From

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


cottiercottonade