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 Finish up with blue skies (made with paint, crayons, or colored pencils) and cotton ball clouds. Nicole Harris, Parents, 20 Mar. 2024 Gel polishes that haven’t been cured with a UV lamp can be removed with regular nail polish removal and a cotton ball. Addie Morton, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2024 Carefully take your cotton ball and blot or dab the area (do not smear) with acetone. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2023 With so many endless variations, finding the right white paint color can be akin to searching for a cotton ball in a heap of snow. Michelle Brunner, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023 At one point, Lewis discusses how a partially straightened paper clip could be used to open the paper lid on the Tylenol box and then remove the cotton ball from inside the bottle without damaging the packaging and without leaving fingerprints or DNA. Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2023 Nail polish remover: Use a small amount of nail polish remover on a cotton ball to erase scuffs. Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2023 Simply soak a cotton ball in acetone, and wrap each nail in that in tin foil. Emily Shiffer, womenshealthmag.com, 2 June 2023 While emptying the canister, some lighter debris, like hair and cotton ball fibers, stuck to the inside and had to be pulled out by hand. Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cotton ball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Cotton ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cotton%20ball. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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