cotton wool

noun

Definition of cotton wool

: raw cotton especially : cotton batting

Examples of cotton wool in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On a twin bed covered by a thin clear plastic sheet, sat a bag with surgical gloves, a jar of petroleum jelly, cotton wool, some pain killers and the needle, attached to a long, thin tube, which is used to drain the fluid into a bucket on the floor. — Alex Platt, CNN, "Trump's ban on global abortion funding has led to more abortions," 24 May 2018 These were white reliefs with surfaces made from familiar materials and objects (fabric, bread, cotton wool) covered in liquid kaolin, a white clay, which stiffened when dry. — Roberta Smith, New York Times, "Enrico Castellani, Artist in the Postwar Avant-Garde, Dies at 87," 12 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cotton wool.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near cotton wool

cottonwood leaf beetle

cotton wool ball

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Time Traveler for cotton wool

The first known use of cotton wool was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for cotton wool

cotton wool

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cotton wool

: a mass of cotton that is used especially for cleaning the skin or wounds

See the full definition for cotton wool in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cotton-wool

noun

Medical Definition of cotton-wool

British

: absorbent cotton

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