Illustration of cotton
- 1 flowering branch
- 2 fruit (unopened)
- 3 fruit (partly opened)
often attributive
1
a
: a soft usually white fibrous substance composed of the hairs surrounding the seeds of various erect freely branching tropical plants (genus Gossypium) of the mallow family
b
: a plant producing cotton
especially
: one grown for its cotton
c
: a crop of cotton
2
a
: fabric made of cotton
b
: yarn spun from cotton
3
: a downy cottony substance produced by various plants (such as the cottonwood)
cottoned; cottoning
ˈkät-niŋ 
ˈkä-tᵊn-iŋ
1
: to take a liking
—used with to
cottons to people easily
2
: to come to understand
—used with to or on to
cottoned on to the fact that our children work furiously—
H. M. McLuhan
H. M. McLuhan
Did you know?
The noun cotton first appears in English in the late Middle Ages. It comes, via Anglo-French and Old Italian, from the Arabic word for cotton, quṭun or quṭn. In the 15th century, cotton acquired a verb use meaning "to form a nap on (cloth)." Though this verb sense is now obsolete, our modern-day use might have spun from it. In 1822, English philologist Robert Nares reported that cotton had been used to mean "to succeed" and speculated that this use came from "the finishing of cloth, which when it cottons, or rises to a regular nap, is nearly or quite complete." The meaning of cotton shifted from "to get on well" to "to get on well together," and eventually to the sense we know today, "to take a liking to." The "understand" sense appeared later, in the early 20th century.
Synonyms
Examples of cotton in a Sentence
Noun
They are in the field picking cotton.
She doesn't wear cotton in the winter.
Recent Examples on the WebMadison Yauger, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
Most people tend to favor wool and cashmere, but really fine, long-staple cottons can also be insulating for the winter months.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 27 Nov. 2023
It’s made of durable waterproof waxed cotton twill with a preppy corduroy collar and dainty gold buttons.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 26 Nov. 2023
It’s made with an organic cotton cover and filling and includes edge support.
—Bridget Shirvell, Parents, 25 Nov. 2023
The cotton twill is impressively heavy duty, without being too restrictive.
—Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 24 Nov. 2023
Price at time of publish: $29 Dress up the table with this Hanukkah table runner, made from cotton and linen.
—Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2023
Afterward, punch holes in each snowflake and thread through hemp, jute or cotton twine.
—Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
Its plush fleece fabric is lined with cozy cotton jersey and it’s made with a touch of spandex to give you even more breathing room.
—Marissa Miller, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2023
Alex Badia, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2023
Tomato growers, dairies take a hit In the Tulare Lake basin, not only will cotton production drop, the region’s dominant tomatoes, used for spaghetti sauce, frozen pizza, ketchup and many other things, will be limited.
—Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 May 2023
Many of us recoil from the pose—the overworked hair, the hulking gait, the monstrous height, the hard eyes—but some seem to cotton to it.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 26 Aug. 2020
Even a flashback to 1981 in the first episode feature a sequence which is narrated backwards, though many viewers may not cotton on.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 17 Oct. 2022
From handmade jewelry to soy wax candles to cotton terry hand towels, it’s one of the trendiest shops in Reykjavik’s Harbour District.
—Katie Lockhart, House Beautiful, 5 Aug. 2022
From Sichuan peppercorns to cotton to housing, the concern this year in China is sinking prices.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 15 July 2022
Bentley was the first of the top-shelf global brands to cotton on, introducing the powerful and sumptuous Bentayga in 2015.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 14 July 2022
And regulators cotton on to certain tactics and try to crack down, well, the drug companies find another avenue.
—al, 18 Jan. 2022
See More
Noun
The Everlane jean is made with organic cotton and has a straight-leg cut that looks seamless with casual or dressy outfits.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
Most people tend to favor wool and cashmere, but really fine, long-staple cottons can also be insulating for the winter months.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 27 Nov. 2023
It’s made of durable waterproof waxed cotton twill with a preppy corduroy collar and dainty gold buttons.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 26 Nov. 2023
It’s made with an organic cotton cover and filling and includes edge support.
—Bridget Shirvell, Parents, 25 Nov. 2023
The cotton twill is impressively heavy duty, without being too restrictive.
—Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 24 Nov. 2023
Price at time of publish: $29 Dress up the table with this Hanukkah table runner, made from cotton and linen.
—Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2023
Afterward, punch holes in each snowflake and thread through hemp, jute or cotton twine.
—Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
Its plush fleece fabric is lined with cozy cotton jersey and it’s made with a touch of spandex to give you even more breathing room.
—Marissa Miller, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2023
Verb
Hermès cotton shirt, $640; Brunello Cucinelli cotton gabardine pants, $1,495; Giorgio Armani suede belt, $495; Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio, $11,900.
—Alex Badia, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2023
Tomato growers, dairies take a hit In the Tulare Lake basin, not only will cotton production drop, the region’s dominant tomatoes, used for spaghetti sauce, frozen pizza, ketchup and many other things, will be limited.
—Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 May 2023
Many of us recoil from the pose—the overworked hair, the hulking gait, the monstrous height, the hard eyes—but some seem to cotton to it.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 26 Aug. 2020
Even a flashback to 1981 in the first episode feature a sequence which is narrated backwards, though many viewers may not cotton on.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 17 Oct. 2022
From handmade jewelry to soy wax candles to cotton terry hand towels, it’s one of the trendiest shops in Reykjavik’s Harbour District.
—Katie Lockhart, House Beautiful, 5 Aug. 2022
From Sichuan peppercorns to cotton to housing, the concern this year in China is sinking prices.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 15 July 2022
Bentley was the first of the top-shelf global brands to cotton on, introducing the powerful and sumptuous Bentayga in 2015.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 14 July 2022
And regulators cotton on to certain tactics and try to crack down, well, the drug companies find another avenue.
—al, 18 Jan. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cotton.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing cotton
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Cite this Entry
“Cotton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cotton. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
cotton
1 of 2 noun
cot·ton
ˈkät-ᵊn
1
a
: a soft usually white fluffy material that is made up of the hairs around the seeds of a tall plant related to the mallows and that is spun into yarn
b
: any plant that produces cotton
2
a
: fabric made of cotton
b
: yarn spun from cotton
cotton
adjective
cotton
2 of 2 verb
cottoned; cottoning
ˈkät-niŋ
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to take a liking
cottoned to them at our first meeting
Medical Definition
cotton
noun
cot·ton
ˈkät-ᵊn
often attributive
1
: a soft usually white fibrous substance composed of the hairs surrounding the seeds of various erect freely branching tropical plants (genus Gossypium) of the mallow family and used extensively in making threads, yarns, and fabrics (as in surgical dressings)
2
: a plant producing cotton
especially
: one grown for its cotton
Biographical Definition
Cotton 1 of 2
biographical name (1)
Cot·ton
ˈkä-tᵊn
Charles 1630–1687 English author and translator
Cotton
2 of 2biographical name (2)
John 1585–1652 American (English-born) Puritan clergyman
More from Merriam-Webster on cotton
Nglish: Translation of cotton for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cotton for Arabic Speakers
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