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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 bywith ).

    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. 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
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Other Word Forms

  • half-cotton adjective
  • semicotton noun
  • uncottoned adjective
  • ˈdzٳٴDzԲ adjective
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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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cotton1

C14: from Old French coton, from Arabic dialect qutun, from Arabic qutn
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Some of Trump’s targets have cottoned on to his practice of letting bluster do the hard work of policymaking, rather than painstakingly drafting his policies so they’re legally and constitutionally bulletproof.

From

Put them together and you’ve got the mecca of pleasure: a romp in Egyptian cotton sheets followed by a juicy room service cheeseburger.

From

That same month, Shein was accused of "wilful ignorance" by MPs in the UK after its lawyer repeatedly refused to answer questions about where the retailer sources its cotton.

From

Frankly, the film has so little on its mind in general that if a butcher’s cleaver slammed through its skull, it would strike cotton candy instead of gray matter.

From

Another striking section showcases artefacts collected by Parsis who grew wealthy in the early 19th century trading tea, silk, cotton - and notably, opium - with China.

From

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