Word of the Day

: July 30, 2013

cocoon

verb kuh-KOON

What It Means

: to wrap or envelop in or as if in a cocoon

cocoon in Context

Lily got out of the water and cocooned herself in a large beach blanket.

"I discovered, and for years, lived by, the color-coded 'Mom’s Super Busy Schedule' calendar. For those of you who are cocooned in the electronic world of mobile apps, iPhones and digital reminders, let me tell you: Back in the day, when there was no gadget telling you where to go, when to arrive and how to get there, that calendar was a life saver. We pre-technology moms had to be savvy." - From an article by Diana Speer in the Press Citizen (Iowa), May 21, 2013

Did You Know?

Since at least 1679, English speakers have been using the noun "cocoon" for the silky covering that surrounds a caterpillar or other insect larva in the pupa stage of metamorphosis. The word came into English from French, which in turn borrowed it from an Occitan term for "eggshell." Linguists believe the Occitan term was probably born of the Latin word "coccum," a noun that has been translated as "kermes," the dried bodies of some insects that can be found on certain trees. The verb "cocoon" has been with us since at least 1881.