cotton wool

noun

: raw cotton

especially : cotton batting

Examples of cotton wool in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This was not so much about wrapping key players in cotton wool but also enclosing them in bubble wrap, doing everything to avoid injury. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 May 2026

Wood is full of it, cotton wool has none. — David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026

Each seat is upholstered in a cotton wool blend that’s made to feel as soft as cashmere, though when an inevitable red wine spill or accidental food mishap occurs, cleanup will prove to be a breeze in comparison. — Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 25 Feb. 2026

To understand the soul may have required silk, cheesecloth, cotton wool, even offal—but these mundane materials, Warner shows us, held meaning. — David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cotton wool

• brimful
• handful
• mirthful
• mouthful
• roomful
• spoonful
• full
• pull

Medical Definition

cotton-wool

noun

British

: absorbent cotton