cotton ball
noun
US
: a small ball of cotton that can be used for a variety of purposes (such as removing makeup or cleaning a wound) and that is usually used once and then thrown away
a bag of cotton balls
Examples of cotton ball in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Use a cotton ball damped with rubbing alcohol and rub over the area.
—
Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025
For hardened drops, saturate a cotton ball and place it on the drop for several minutes before wiping away.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Clean your straightener, curling iron A cotton ball or swab dipped in rubbing alcohol is the easiest way to clean a flat iron or curling iron.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
To prevent color from bleeding, prop each piece up away from your head with a cotton ball.
—Maureen Choi, Glamour, 25 Sep. 2025
Hairstylist and owner of Salon PK Pekela Riley suggests dipping a Q-tip or cotton ball into an apple cider vinegar rinse, then lightly dabbing it on affected areas to dissolve buildup and soothe the itchies.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 24 June 2025
Use a cotton ball to dab the mixture onto your age spots.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 16 June 2025
Help your child learn with fun nose blowing games like cotton ball races and underwater bubbles.
—Aleksandra Weber, Parents, 12 June 2025
Made with 100% super soft cotton, each extra large cotton ball is incredibly gentle on skin.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
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Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025
For hardened drops, saturate a cotton ball and place it on the drop for several minutes before wiping away.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Clean your straightener, curling iron A cotton ball or swab dipped in rubbing alcohol is the easiest way to clean a flat iron or curling iron.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
To prevent color from bleeding, prop each piece up away from your head with a cotton ball.
—Maureen Choi, Glamour, 25 Sep. 2025
Hairstylist and owner of Salon PK Pekela Riley suggests dipping a Q-tip or cotton ball into an apple cider vinegar rinse, then lightly dabbing it on affected areas to dissolve buildup and soothe the itchies.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 24 June 2025
Use a cotton ball to dab the mixture onto your age spots.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 16 June 2025
Help your child learn with fun nose blowing games like cotton ball races and underwater bubbles.
—Aleksandra Weber, Parents, 12 June 2025
Made with 100% super soft cotton, each extra large cotton ball is incredibly gentle on skin.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Cotton ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cotton%20ball. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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